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All the United States Utah Parowan Parowan Gap Petroglyphs

Parowan Gap Petroglyphs

Hundreds of drawings left by the land's previous inhabitants remain mysterious.

Parowan, Utah

Added By
Gwen
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Petroglyph known as “the zipper”   glenn_merritt
Petroglyph known as “the zipper”   glenn_merritt
Parowan Gap Petroglyphs   Walt Haas
Parowan Gap Petroglyphs   twbuckner
Parowan Gap Petroglyphs   twbuckner
Petroglyph Plaque   twbuckner
  breaingram / Atlas Obscura User
  breaingram / Atlas Obscura User
  WhiskeyBristles / Atlas Obscura User
Parowan Gap Petroglyphs   Walt Haas
  breaingram / Atlas Obscura User
Don’t forget the nearby dinosaur tracks   gpers / Atlas Obscura User
just across the street is Overseer Tobatz (mimetoilth)   gpers / Atlas Obscura User
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About

Just a few miles west of the small town of Parowan, and just at the edge of the dry "Little Salt Lake," lies a natural gap in the mountains, covered with hundreds of petroglyphs. They have been there for over a thousand years.

Archaeologists have argued that the petroglyphs are in fact a complex calendar system. Hopi and Paiute peoples have a variety of interpretations for the rock art as well, which includes representations of humans as well as depictions of animals and geometric shapes.

While there has been a certain amount of damage and vandalism since the arrival of Anglos, the majority of the petroglyphs are intact. Among them is a much more ancient reminder of the past in the form of a few preserved dinosaur footprints. 

A well-maintained trail goes along the gap walls, and you can even peer into a small cave that is believed to have been occupied by a ritual specialist or shaman, with evidence of up to five thousand years of occupation in the area. From dinosaur tracks to ancient human ingenuity, the past is present in the Parowan Gap Petroglyphs. 

 

Related Tags

Petroglyphs Art Outsider Art Ancient Ancient Technology Archaeology Native Americans

Know Before You Go

Exit Highway 15 at Parowan, then take Gap Road west.

Community Contributors

Added By

gkirk

Edited By

WhiskeyBristles, breaingram, gpers

  • WhiskeyBristles
  • breaingram
  • gpers

Published

June 17, 2016

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Sources
  • Norman, V. Garth and Lance Harding. 2007. The Parowan Gap: Nature's Perfect Observatory. Springville (UT): Cedar Fort Inc.
  • https://utah.com/parowan-gap
Parowan Gap Petroglyphs
Gap Rd
Parowan, Utah, 84761
United States
37.901085, -112.959393
Get Directions

Nearby Places

Nellie Pucell Unthank Memorial

Cedar City, Utah

miles away

Cedar Breaks National Monument

Brian Head, Utah

miles away

Maurice Graham Monument

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miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Utah

Utah

United States

Places 155
Stories 29

Nearby Places

Nellie Pucell Unthank Memorial

Cedar City, Utah

miles away

Cedar Breaks National Monument

Brian Head, Utah

miles away

Maurice Graham Monument

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miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Utah

Utah

United States

Places 155
Stories 29

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