nine mile canyon and Rochester panel.

The Rochester panel is south of Price UT off hwy 10, a few miles north of Emery. There is a sign on the road at the turnoff and again at the next turnoff a good dirt road.

We stayed in Price at the Quality inn Before driving to 9 Mile canyon the next day. 9 mile canyon is a 30 mile section of paved road with petroglyphs pretty much all the way. The first good concentration we saw was at Balanced rock. They are down below the rock to the left, and past the rock on another outcropping. There are also a lot scattered about on the walls, high and low just past the intersection with Harmon canyon road. 

The Great Hunt panel is the last site. It is on the right and has a sign and a place to park. Just before it is a sign for Big Bear panel on the wall on the other side (left) of the wash just opposite the parking pullout. Have to walk a little.

 Big Buffalo

Near the Harmon canyon intersection (just past at the pull off) on the high bluff on the left of the road.

The Head of Sinbad pictograph

This pictograph is along I70 at MM125, and 1.5 miles north in the middle of a tan wall of rock. You can't get there from there. You have to go to mm131 and go back west on the frontage road on the south side of the highway. That frontage road turns to dirt and veers south west to a sigh pointing to the Head of Sinbad. Turn right, go 1 mile, turn right again and find your self getting back near the expressway near MM125, When you get near the express way you will see a culvert crossing under. Head for the culvert and park there unless you have 4 wheel drive and want to drive in sand.

The pictograph area is behind a rail fence. The last section of the road leaves the track and goes across the flat grass area. The depression where the road is supposed to be is very eroded. Too much for a Subaru.

Section of the road to avoid. You could do it in a jeep, but why contribute to the erosion.

From where my car is parked the track through the grass leads directly to the pictograph.

 The internet says these are at least 3000 years old.

Druid arch hike.

Today's hike is in the Needles section of Canyonlands, about 100 miles from Moab. All is paved except the last 3 miles which is narrow, but good dirt road. The hike is 11 miles and has signs at all junctions with distance to the next point.

 Before you get to the park entrance you pass a Newspaper rock. There are restrooms at this parking lot but the panel is on the opposite end of the lot.You park almost right next to it and don't have to hike at all.

After passing the entrance station we head toward the campground and between loop A and loop B the dirt road takes off to the right to the "elephant hill" parking lot where the trail starts.

 After leaving the south side of parking lot you immediately go through a crack in a rock with steps up. On top continue south on a trail over terrain like this photo, to a signpost at 1.6 miles directing you on to Druid arch.

 Looking ahead our destination is behind the rocks in the distance.

 Jerry helping Cheryl with her rock climbing.

Fendler Cliff Bush.

 First sign post. We went from elephant hill to druid arch. 5.5 miles each way.

 A tall kind of Mahonia. It also grows here on the trail to little zion.

 First narrow area. There is a small boulder to climb over.

 Second narrow area. This slot opens into a grotto like area before dropping down into another wash. There are cairns here and where the obvious trail disappears.

Grotto like area. After this is where you drop down into the wash that leads south to the arch.

In the main, and last section, of the southerly wash you can see Druid Arch. That rock sticking up in the middle, looking "end-on"

 After a while the trail enters a wash and continues south to the arch. There are still some obstacles in the wash.

 The wash eventually becomes impassable due to high pour overs and deep water. This is a climb up the left side to get onto a shelf where the trail continues.

Later you come to this dry fall. At the top of it do not continue in the wash. The trail climbs up again on the left at the top of this dry fall.

This ls looking back down after the climb up.

 Showy Stone seed.

Same dry fall

When you are almost to the arch you have to turn left leaving the wash and scramble up to it's base. This is a hard spot where they put in a ladder making it much easier.

panorama of the arch.click on the link, then the photo.

From the trailhead there is a trail that goes generally south west going over a few drops till it meets a canyon going south. The southerly canyon goes to the arch.

There are some signs in the southerly wash pointing out designated campsites. But at the two places where the trail steps up onto higher ground (left) to avoid being boxed in there are  only cairns, and possibly foot prints.

The last section up to the arch is a scramble. Just before the scramble is a steel ladder to help you over a high rock.

Horseshoe canyon Great Gallery

Horseshoe canyon's Great Gallery is a part of Canyonlands NP but is located west of the main part and is about 120 miles from Moab, 31 miles of it a dirt road that is passable in a regular car in dry weather. There was one dicey section where they were working on the road to prevent drifting sand from obliterating the road. They were building up the road and wetting the surface causing a mud wallow. We plowed on through but if we stopped there would be no way of gaining traction again. When they are finished it will be a good road.

 The trailhead at the canyon rim.

 Hiking down the old road to the bottom of the canyon. It is a 750 foot drop.

There are two dinosaur tracks on the way down, and one more in the canyon below.

After reaching bottom it is 2 miles of sandy wash to the main panel. There at three panels before the main one. High Gallery, Horseshoe shelter, and Alcove gallery.

The Great Gallery. Said to be about 4000 years old.  panorama of the Gallery. Click on the link, then the photo.

Part of Great Gallery

Detail of one of the figures.

This is the Horseshoe shelter gallery.

 Around to the right climbing around the rockpile you can see this one.

The alcove gallery is here. It is not as clear as the others.

Walking away from the Alcove.

Final section before the Great Gallery. You can see it straight ahead.

On the trail back out we found this dinosaur track using Ranger directions. It is at a place in the canyon where it narrows and makes a sharp bend next to a flat overhanging shelf of gray bedrock. There is water there and if you stay on the sand you could hit your head on the overhang. On the path in you will think the trail goes up here leaving the sand and going over the rock, but this is just to get you onto the top of the overhang where the track is. After seeing the track go back down into the wash and make the sharp left turn.