What’s the difference between a petroglyph and a pictograph?
Found throughout southern Utah, a petroglyph is an image carved, incised or scratched into stone. A pictograph is a painting on stone, using natural pigments.
Pictographs are typically found only in caves or other areas where they can be protected from the elements of sunshine, wind-blown sand and precipitation.
Zion National Park has a number of petroglyphs left by the Anasazi, but also by the Archaic people, as well as by the Basketmaker, Fremont and Piaute cultures as well.
“Guide to Rock Art of the Utah Region” by Dennis Silfer is an excellent overview of rock art, with detailed descriptions of sites.
A few steps from the South Entrance to Zion National Park is South Gate Petroglyph site, which has interesting designs and animal images — right under the watchful eye of rangers. Other sites in the park are not well advertised, as park officials have had bad experiences with vandalism. Indeed, Petroglyph Canyon is protected and visitors need special permission from Zion Canyon Visitor’s Center to visit the site. Ditto for the Cave Valley pictograph site.
Rock art has survived hundreds, even thousands of years, but it can’t survive vandals or even repeated touching — the oil from fingertips damages rock art.
Rock art fans should visit Parowan Gap Canyon — accessible from either Parowan or Cedar City. From Parowan, turn west on to 400 North and travel 10.5 miles to Parowan Gap Canyon. From Cedar City, take I-15 Exit 62 and follow the signs to get onto U-130. Follow 130 north for 13.7 miles and then turn right onto a paved road near mile marker 19. Follow that road 2.5 miles and you’re in the middle of fantastic geometric designs, plus images of humans, mountain sheep, bear claws and more.
