Black Canyon Petroglyphs at PNWR (Summary page)

 {Click on an image to enlarge, then use the back button to return to this page}

This page last updated on 10/11/2017

Introduction: As I began to discover more and more rock art sites during my hikes over these past several years, I have become witness to far too many examples of where persons had seemed fit to deface them with graffiti and other examples of damage. Eventually I realized that the sharing of my hiking adventures could have the potential to increase public exposure, and thereby increasing the possibility for even more damage. As a result, I decided to preface each of my rock art pages with the following information to help educate visitors about the importance of these fragile cultural resources. Before scrolling down, I implore you to READ the following ... as well as the linked page providing guidelines for preserving rock art.

Here are a few simple guidelines you can follow that will help to preserve these unique and fragile cultural resources that are part of our heritage. Guidelines for Preserving Rock Art. If you would like to learn more about the Nevada Site Stewardship Program, go to my page ... Nevada Site Stewardship Program (NSSP).
    

(Fig. 01)

(Fig. 02) Beginning in early November of 2014, I made three daytrips to Black Canyon, located inside the Pahranagat National Wildlife Refuge, for the purpose of searching out and collecting pictures of the unique rock-art found at this site. The more I searched the Internet about this prolific site between visits, the more knowledge I gained about its history and how much there was here to see. Each subsequent visit led me to discover and record more and more panels. After my last visit I discovered the map shown in (Fig. 02). This map shows the location of each individual petroglyph panel at the Black Canyon Site; each panel's location is marked by a circle - "o". My study of  this map indicates that there are still a few panels that I have yet to locate and record, though I feel that I have captured pictures of the vast majority of what is available. Below I have provided links to the pages I created that provide pictures and a description of my hikes for my first two visits here. The remainder of this page covers my last visit on 02/13/2015 and provides a picture collection of the major panels and glyphs from each of my three visits. 11/13/2014 Trip Notes: I made this trip to the Pahranagat DWR with the rock-hounds from the Heritage Park's Senior Facility. Because I have been here on two previous occasions, my objective for this visit was to hike in the Black Canyon area and locate some of the Black Canyon petroglyphs. Click this link for pictures and information on this visit ... Black Canyon Petroglyph Site - Trip Notes for 11/13/2014. 11/19/2014 Trip Notes: Because I ran out of time on previous visit here to look for any more petroglyphs, I decided to visit the Black Canyon Petroglyph Site once again, this time with hiking partners Robert Croke and Blake Smith. Heading to an area we missed on our last visit, we found dozens more petroglyphs including the famous Pahranagat Man. Click this link for pictures and information on this visit ... Black Canyon Petroglyphs - Trip Notes for 11/19/2014. 02/13/2015 Trip Notes: This trip was my third, and last visit to this site (Fig. 03), and even though I spotted nearly a dozen more panels than I did on my first two visits, I now know from the map in (Fig. 02) there are still more to be discovered. The majority of glyphs found here are concentrated in three major areas that I have identified as follows: {A#1} the cliffs on the eastern edge of the canyon shown in (Fig. 04) and by the yellow route in (Fig. 03); {A#2} the large hill or mound in the center of the canyon shown in (Fig. 05) and represented by the orange route in (Fig. 03); and {A#3} the long cliff on the west side of the highway and canyon shown in (Fig. 06) and represented by both blue and yellow routes in (Fig. 03). So far I have only completed a 'cursory’ investigation of {A#3}. Below I have taken pictures captured from each of these three areas and grouped them into four different categories for study and comparison. Please feel free to send me any information or comments you may have relative to any of these postings. I Should note that this area is currently closed for viewing until the Refuge receives more funding. (Fig.03)

(Fig. 04)

(Fig. 05)

(Fig. 06)

Understanding Pahranagat Valley Rock Art:  Black Canyon (Fig. 01), located within the Pahranagat National Wildlife Refuge, is only one of nearly a half dozen rock-art sites within the Pahranagat Valley area of southeastern Nevada. Based on what they know so far, archaeologists have only been able to paint the Desert Archaic culture that lived here with a very broad brush. Dating, deciphering and understanding the meaning of the rock art found here has been elusive at best. It is generally agreed, however, that the indigenous people who once inhabited this area created some of these petroglyphs thousands of years ago. The rock art found here ranges in age from the Early Archaic cultures consisting of ABSTRACT rock art (ziz-zag and parallel lines, dots and circles) 5500 BC to AD 1, including REPRESENTATIONAL rock art (“ghost-like” body forms, headresses, and animals) up through the Anasazi & Fremont cultures’ of REPRESENTATIONAL rock art (a variety of human forms (Anthropomorphic), birds, spirals, bighorn sheep, deer, elk and ABSTRACT designs) including REPRESENTATIONAL (broad-shouldered human forms trapezoidal in shape with abstract interior body decorations) AD 1 to AD 1275.                           While some petroglyph images, such as sheep, or hunters spearing a deer, etc. can be recognizable, their specific meaning remains elusive. Some theorize that they convey important information pertaining to site boundaries, clan or tribal ownership, others argue that they are symbols that were pecked or carved into rock faces during important rituals, and therefore have a specific religious connotation. While some glyphs seem indicate the presence of game, shelter and water, the more esoteric symbols such as zigzags, spirals, dots, concentric circles and others are less easy to define and have most often been relegated to the category of religious symbols. Archeoastronomers have also found that a number of the rock images are celestial in nature, indicating solstices and planetary movements, and certain sites have been found to be astronomical observatories similar in function to Stonehenge.                                    All of the examples in the pictures shown below come from the Black Canyon site in the Pahranagat Valley. Because many diverse cultures inhabited this area over a period of more than 7,000 years, from the early hunter-gathers to the more sedimentary tribes who began to grow crops, each left a “piece” of their life and culture for others to see. Many patterns and motifs found throughout other sites in the area are often similar but are never quite the same; each site being unique. The fact that the coloring of the peckings (some lighter vs some darker) found within a single panel is an indication that they may have been pecked or re-pecked by more than one culture over time.                           Uncertain in its age and cultural affiliations is what is known as the Pahranagat anthropomorph style, which is only found in the Pahranagat Valley. Traditionally the style is dated to the late Middle and early Late Archaic periods based on associated archaeological remains and the fact that some figures wield atlatls. This style comprises two distinct types of anthropomorphs -- Pahranagat Man and the Pahranagat Patterned Body Anthropomorph (PBA). The Pahranagat Patterned Body Anthropomorph (PBA): As can be seen by the pictures of panels below, the Pahranagat PBA has many variations. It is a rectangular form with no head that is internally decorated with a variety of grids, dots, or geometric motifs. One of the most interesting things about the Pahranagat PBAs is their interior design. In fact, of the 227 known PBAs on sites in the area, only six do not have interior markings. What they mean is anybody’s guess. They could represent group affiliation, clan identifiers or tribal symbols, personal markings (body painting, tattooing) or warrior markings. Breastplate I wonder if they could be representative of a Indian breastplate (right) that were sometimes worn by warriors for protection and may even have had a spiritual significance (Figs. 09 & 13). A breastplate was sometimes worn by mythological beings as a distinctive item of clothing. More than half of PBA’s have two short vertical lines that extend from the top that sometimes end with a round knob (Fig. 13). An almost equal number have a “fringe” of short vertical lines at the bottom (Figs. 07 & 09). They have stick-figure legs and short arms, sometimes bearing an atlatl-like object, seen in almost all of the PBA's below. It has been recorded that nearly a quarter of all PBA’s carry an Atlatl in their right hand. Some believe that another held object is what appears to be netting, which would be a logical tool to use in the riparian areas for fish, birds, or other small game. So it would appear that the PBA may be representative of a hunter utilizing atlatls and nets. In addition to being used for hunting, Atlatls may also serve another purpose, that of warfare. Because the Pahranagat valley was a choice hunting and fishing area, it is likely that its inhabitants would have been very protective of their “turf”, with a need to protect it from encroaching peoples. Based upon numbers of PBA motifs found throughout the Pahranagat Valley, it seems obvious that they had great significance and importance.

(Fig. 07)	(Fig. 08)
(Fig. 09)	(Fig. 10)
(Fig. 11)	(Fig. 12)
(Fig. 13)	(Fig. 14)

Pahranagat Man: Easily recognizable, Pahranagat Man has a solid-pecked ovoid (Fig. 16) or rectangular body (Figs 15 & 17), large eyes (sometimes indicated by using negative space (Fig. 15), and a line protruding from its head; its arms may be straight, angled or portrayed down-turned with long digitate fingers. Much fewer in number, these striking figures almost seem somewhat haunting. Could they have been used to represent a shaman or have some other religious significance?

(Fig. 15)	(Fig. 16)
(Fig. 17)	For more pictures of Pahranagat Man, and other similar images shown on this page, check out some of the petroglyph images on the following pages ... ... Shaman Knob-at Mt. Irish, ... Shaman Hill at Mt. Irish, ... Paiute Rock at-Mt. Irish, ... Shooting Gallery Petroglyphs, ... Ash-Springs Rock Art-Site

Zoomorphs: Based upon the valley’s long history of abundant water, it supported a large number of animals that were drawn to its many lakes and marshes, making it a prime hunting area. The zoomorphs represented at various sites throughout the area depict a variety sheep, mule deer, elk (Figs. 20 & 22), coyote (Fig. 23) and rabbits. While the large majority of zoomorphs represented appear to be bighorn sheep, other animals are distinctly displayed.

(Fig. 18)	(Fig. 19)
(Fig. 20)	(Fig. 21)
(Fig. 22)	(Fig. 23)
(Fig. 24)	(Fig. 25)

ABSTRACT Rock Art: Although many ABSTRACT rock-art panels contain a variety of ziz-zag and parallel lines, circles and dots, the majority of abstract art at this site are mostly comprised of random rows of dots (Figs. 26-30).

(Fig. 26)	(Fig. 27)
(Fig. 28)	(Fig. 29)
(Fig. 30)	(Fig. 31)
(Fig. 32)	(Fig. 33)
(Fig. 34)

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Reference Materials:

Rock Art Glossary

Lincoln County Rock Art Guide

"Rock Art of the Nevada Great Basin"

Manuscript written by Kenneth C. Clarke

Daytrip - Black Canyon and Lake Mohave

(Fig. 01)

(Fig. 02)

(Fig. 03)

Directions: From the Stratosphere Casino, take Las Vegas Blvd to the ramp onto Las Vegas Expressway, I-515/95/92 S. towards Phoenix/Needles. Travel 19.4 miles and continue on S. Boulder Hwy (US93-S) for 5.6 miles. Before entering Boulder City, turn left onto US.93 and travel 20.8 miles. Make a right turn onto N. Willow Beach Road and go 2.4 miles to Willow Beach. Total distance is about 50.3 miles and takes about an hour.

Area Description: Less than an hours drive from Las Vegas, Willow Beach Marina & Campground (Fig. 01) is located on the Arizona side of the Colorado River at the southern end of the Black Canyon Wilderness Area (Fig. 02). This exquisite Black Canyon region of the Colorado River, varying from sheer cliffs of multicolored rocks to sandy beaches and secluded coves, provides access to more than 235 miles of shoreline for hiking, rafting, boating, fishing and swimming. Renting a boat at Willow Beach allows you to travel the 11 mile stretch (Fig. 03) up-river through Black Canyon, past waterfalls, natural hot springs, to a river view of the Mike O'Callaghan–Pat Tillman Memorial Bridge, the world’s highest concrete arch bridge and, if the water is high enough, the Hoover Dam which creates Lake Mead, one of largest man made lakes in the country.                      Lake Mohave was created with the building of Davis Dam on the Colorado River on the border between Arizona and Nevada, just north of Laughlin, Nevada. With 235 miles of shoreline, the lake runs 67 miles between the base of the Hoover Dam and Davis Dam, is relatively "skinny" with its widest point being only about 4 miles wide. Most of its length is bordered by the steep canyon walls of Eldorado, Pyramid, and Black Canyons as you proceed north. Lake Mohave is part of the Lake Mead National Recreation Area and is administered by the National Park Service.

07/22/2014 Trip Notes: With temperatures predicted to be in the three digits, my friend Jim Herring and I decided to spend the day boating through Black Canyon on Lake Mojave. After reaching the Willow Beach Marina, we began the process of renting a boat for our days journey. We decided upon renting a 17' Campion 60 hp motor that seamed ideal for doing a little lake exploring and cruising around the lake’s many secluded coves. After gassing her up and receiving our boating instructions, we began our journey by heading upriver towards Hoover Dam (Fig. 04). Though this was a “boating” trip and not a hike per say, there are several stops along the river that allow for a variety of hiking opportunities. One that we chose today, the Arizona Hot Springs, is perhaps the most popular. Besides the just spectacular canyon scenery, I have listed some of the highlights of our journey below. Refer to the map in (Fig. 03) when reading about these locations. Also, be sure to click on the images to enlarge for better viewing.

(Fig. 04)

Willow Beach Fish Hatchery: Heading upstream from the marina, the first thing you pass is the Willow Beach Fish Hatchery (Fig. 05) on the right (Arizona) side of the river. This cold water hatchery raises rainbow trout primarily as mitigation for dams on the Colorado River. Approximately 750,000 trout are stocked annually in the Colorado River from Lake Mead south to the Mexican border.

(Fig. 05)

Gauger’s Residence Site: About a one and 2/3 miles upstream you come to the remains of the gauger’s residence site (Fig. 06), home to the person who operated the gauging station located further upstream. Because the original structure was demolished, the only thing that remains here are a few concrete foundations along a terraced hillside with some crumbling stone retaining walls.

(Fig. 06)

Cable Tramway & Catwalk: From this location the gauger had to transverse about a mile along a series of treacherous trails on the side of the cliffs that were connected by a cable tramway suspended over a side canyon (Fig. 07), a catwalk of wooden planks laid on steel supports driven into the cliff, with a railing of metal supports and metal cable along its outer edge (Fig. 08). Click to enlarge and view the two circled areas in Figs. 07 & 08. After several hundred more feet of arduous cliff-side hiking is a second cable tramway (Fig. 09).

(Fig. 07) (Fig. 08)

Tramway and Gauging Station: The second tramway consists of a flat, shallow rectangular bucket hung by steel supports at each of its four corners from a pair of pulleys, one at each end, suspended from a single cable suspended across the river to the location of the Gauging Station (Fig. 09) The gauging station itself (Fig.10) hangs from the precipitous, vertical wall on the Nevada side of Black Canyon. It consists of a small, square, shed-roofed metal room.hung on a vertical cliff about forty to fifty feet above the surface of the river, whose level varies according to volume of flow. Beneath it, a corrugated pipe about four feet in diameter extends vertically from its floor into the water. The gauging station is held to the cliff only by metal supports. Along the entire south side of the gauging room is a porch. From that porch, a metal ladder leads upstairs to a flat platform with railing, mounted several feet above the shed roof of the gauging room. Near the canyon wall, another platform is mounted 1 story below the gauging room porch, which allows transfer from a ladder which leads down from that porch to the main ladder which is mounted near the corrugated pipe, and leads down to near the surface of the water. The gauging station may be approached either by boat and ladder from below, or by cable tramway to the platform above. The gauging station was built in 1931 and was used during construction of the dam for monitoring downstream water level, flow rate, silt content, etc. The station operated until October 1939, when it was replaced by a new station closer to the dam (.8 mile downstream). It was listed in the National Register of Historic Places on March 21, 1986. It is now home to a colony of double-crested cormorants.

(Fig. 09)

(Fig. 10)

About five miles upstream, there is a rock formation high on the Arizona canyon wall that resembles the backbone of an animal (Fig.11). Geologists call it a dike; locals call it the Dragon's Back. Between six to seven miles out you come to a place on the Arizona side know as Balanced Rock. This is followed Nevada Falls and a formation called The Window (a natural stone arch on the Nevada side).

(Fig. 11)

Arizona Hot Springs: At about seven miles upstream you come to a large canyon with a beach and camping area on the Arizona side (Fig. 12). Hiking up this canyon leads you to the Arizona Hot Springs. This is probably the most popular stopping point along the lake. After mooring the boat we started to hike up the canyon. Just a few feet from the beach we encountered the waters from the springs, running down the canyon where they disappeared into the sands, flowing underground into the lake (Fig. 13). After hiking a ways up the canyon, we sat and had lunch while watching and listening to the water stream past (Fig. 14). We then continued up the canyon to the hot springs. At the end, you have to climb a 20-foot steel ladder resting on a waterfall in order to reach the springs (Fig. 15). When we reached the springs, there were we found several people who had passed us while we were having lunch soaking and enjoying the thermal effects of the warm springs (Fig. 16)..

(Fig. 12)

(Fig. 13)

(Fig. 14)

(Fig. 15) (Fig. 16)

White Rock Canyon: Just a few hundred feet upstream from here, in an area knows as the ringbolt rapids, is the entrance to White Rock Canyon (Figs. 17 & 18). This rocky beach area is the end of a 2.2 mile hike from US-93 above this spot (Fig. 16). Supposedly there is a large ringbolt set in a rock on the Arizona side about 250 yards above the rapids and 15-20 feet above the high water mark. This is one of the many ringbolts used from 1865-1890 to winch steamboats through the rapids. Unfortunately, we were unable to spot it.                                .

(Fig. 17)

(Fig. 18)

Boy Scout Canyon: Approximately a mile and a half past this area is another large canyon with a beautiful sandy beach on the Nevada side. This is Boy Scout Canyon (Fig. 19). Hot springs and hot pools are located in the canyon. The stream goes underground before it reaches the river. There is also a hot spring located in the canyon directly across the river from Boy Scout Canyon. Less than a half mile from here, there is another hot spring, a waterfall and a small palm tree, known as the only tree of any kind you will see on the river.

(Fig. 19)

Sauna Cave: Another quarter mile upstream on the Nevada side, you will come to the opening of Goldstrike Canyon where the Nevada Hot Springs flow into the river. These are some of the hottest springs along the river. Just past this opening is a steamy cave call the Sauna Cave (Fig. 20). About a half mile past this spot there is a turn in the river that presents you with a view of the Mike O'Callaghan–Pat Tillman Memorial Bridge (Fig. 21) and the Hoover Dam (Fig. 22).

(Fig. 20)

(Fig. 21)

(Fig. 22)

After returning back downriver, we went past the marina and and headed down to Eldorado Canyon. At an area near Nelson’s Landing we found a cove that had a half dozen big horn sheep (Figs. 23-25) that were munching some of the lush vegetation along the shore and drinking from the river.

(Fig. 23)

(Fig. 24) (Fig. 25)

The next six pictures (Figs. 26-31), are just a small sampling representative of the magnificent scenic views we enjoyed as we boated up and down the lake. One of the last pictures was taken as we approached Willow Beach Marina from the south (Fig. 32). Notice the white bus in the upper center of the picture that is driving along US-93. The sandy area filled with hoodoos below the highway is the campground just above and behind the marina. The last picture (Fig. 33) was taken as we drove through the campground.

(Fig. 26) (Fig. 27)

(Fig. 28) (Fig. 29)

(Fig. 30) (Fig. 31)

(Fig. 32)

(Fig. 33)