Explore Ancient Petroglyphs in Capitol Reef National Park

Capitol Reef National Park is about three and a half hours south of Salt Lake City or northeast of St. George. The park offers tremendous hiking, camping, and history. Enjoying history is one of our favorite things to do at Capitol Reef.

Petroglyphs in Capitol Reef National Park

The park has an incredible display of petroglyphs that are very easy to access. They are located off of Utah Highway 24, just east of Fruita. The parking lot is small. On our last visit to the park in the fall, we had to circle a few times before a spot became available.

The patience was worth it. The Native American rock art here is remarkable. Two short boardwalks access them. These are excellent ways for people with mobility issues or those traveling with young kids to get out of the car and enjoy something extraordinary.

The petroglyphs in Capitol Reef were carved and pecked into the rock faces by people of the Fremont Culture. The Fremont people lived in what is now Utah for about one thousand years, from 300 to 1300.

Short hike to the Rock Art

The shorter boardwalk goes straight toward the rock wall. You will find a fantastic display of large, anthropomorphic (human-like) petroglyphs here. There are also bighorn sheep petroglyphs to the left, as well as other animals and geometric designs.

I recommend bringing binoculars or a telephoto camera lens if you have them. The petroglyphs are a ways from the end of the boardwalk. If you don’t have them, someone is almost always nice enough to share the good view with theirs.

The other, more extended boardwalk runs parallel to the rock walls. Walk slowly and look closely; dozens of petroglyphs are throughout, but some can be tough to see. This boardwalk is also much closer to the cliff.

It’s unclear what the petroglyphs mean. There is no translation available. Many people think they are writing, others think they are art, and some see a story in the ancient wall etchings. I simply enjoy viewing them and wondering what life was like 1,000 years ago.