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.