Site Visit with a Site Steward
Many archaeological sites on public lands are monitored for change or continuity by dedicated volunteers who have been trained to respectfully interact with and document impacts to some of our area’s significant archaeological heritage. Come visit with local site stewards at the archaeological sites they monitor to learn about their specific archaeological sites, the archaeology of the region, and their roles as citizen scientists! This year there are four archaeological sites to visit. Site Visit with a Site Steward is not a tour so visit the sites on your own time (between 1 and 3 PM) and in the order you choose.
We’d like to recognize the indigenous descendant communities of the Moab area which include the bands of the Ute, Navajo, Hopi, the bands of the Paiute, and Zuni.
- The Courthouse Wash Panel is in Arches National Park and includes petroglyph and pictograph representations that span multiple cultures and thousands of years of human history. The Courthouse Wash Panel is monitored by recently retired BLM archaeologist Don Montoya.
- To Access the Courthouse Wash Panel, park at the parking lot north of 191 across from UMTRA and walk east down the bike path back towards Moab. Once you cross Courthouse Wash, a foot path will branch off the bike path and continue up towards the site. In total, the walk up to the site is less than ¾ mile.
- The Intestine Man Panel is on Bureau of Land Management Lands where Sevenmile Canyon forks. The site is a Barrier Canyon style pictograph panel that also includes petroglyph elements. Like the Courthouse Wash Panel, which also contains Barrier Canyon style elements, this site exhibits cultural expressions that are approximately 3000 years old. The Intestine Man Panel is monitored by long-time BLM and NPS volunteer Sue Baril.
- To Access the Intestine Man Panel, drive north on Hwy 191 to Hwy 313, the turn off to Canyonlands National Park and Dead Horse State Park. Drive 2.3 miles and park along the north side of the road. The site is on the canyon wall here. Please use caution when parking, pulling out, and walking along the highway.
- The Burden Basket and Big Bear Panels are petroglyphs along the Colorado River. These sites are Formative era (meaning Ancestral Puebloan and/or Fremont) and Numic (Ute or Paiute) and are likely between 900 and 200 years old. These panels are two among many along the Colorado River corridor and are monitored by longtime BLM and NPS volunteer Lee Shenton.
- To Access the Phantom Hunt and Slick Sheep panels, turn west onto Hwy 279 (Potash Road) from Hwy 191 and drive for 5 miles to the site. Please use caution when parking, pulling out, and walking along the highway.
- The King of the World Panel is the bonus site. The panel is a 20th century European rock art panel with a captivating story. The panel was moved from its original location along the canyon wall just south of the Colorado River in Moab Valley to its current location in front of the Grand Center. The panel is not actively monitored but local archaeologist Hannah Russell will be at the panel to discuss it.
- The King of the World Panel is situated out front of the Grand Center at 182 500 West in Moab.
