Deep within Utah's Canyonlands National Park lies some of the most impressive pictographs (Indian rock paintings) in the United States. The Great Gallery pictographs lie within an isolated canyon near the park's Maze District. While this trip requires proper planning and is definitely off the beaten track, you will be rewarded with solitude, a beautiful canyon and amazing pictographs.
The Great Gallery is in Horseshoe Canyon, which can be accessed by dirt roads either from Green River Utah or from UT 24. The roads are usually passable by cars but care must be taken for sand and ruts. The roads will also become impassible for all vehicles when wet. Drive slowly and be sure to call the Maze District park office at (801) 259-4351 for road conditions.
The dusty road winds through the plains of the San Rafael Desert. The 40 mile drive, where we saw coyotes and antelope, prepares you for the isolation of Horseshoe Canyon. Most hikers access Horseshoe Canyon from a trailhead before the Maze District. Access from the Maze District requires 4 wheel drive. Call ahead for information about this route to the Great Gallery.
The hike is about 7 miles round-trip from the main trailhead. Cairns help you descend over 700 feet to the canyon bottom. From there, you hike southwest through Horseshoe Canyon. Be sure to bring along a good map and guidebook as this is one of the more isolated sections of Canyonlands National Park.
There are actually 4 main pictograph panels in Horseshoe Canyon with the Great Gallery being the largest and, by far, the most spectacular. Each panel, while spectacular in its own right, prepares you for the detail and beauty of the Great Gallery.
When you finally reach the Great Gallery a couple of miles later, you find a pictograph panel that is over 100 feet long and filled with ghost-like figures, many over 6 feet tall. Surrounding the larger figures are pictographs of animals and some people.
The Great Gallery pictographs are known as Barrier Canyon Style rock art. Barrier Canyon was the prior name of Horseshoe Canyon. This art style is characterized by pictographs of ghost-like figures with broad shoulders and tapered bodies.
As you can see in some of the larger photos, many of the Great Gallery figures are pock-marked - pieces of the pictographs seem to be chipped away. This has led some archaeologists to surmise that the Great Gallery was used in rituals where objects were thrown at the figures. Click here for a 9k picture with pock-marked figures.
As you can imagine, there is much debate about what the Great Gallery means. Some archaeologists believe that the figures are representations of shamans or holy men who could enter a spiritual state, hence the lack of arms and legs in many of the pictographs.
There is also much debate about the age of the Great Gallery pictographs. Estimates range from 1500 to over 8000 years old! Recent carbon dating has determined that one of the figures is 3000 years old but the debate still continues. Interestingly, the older date of 8000 years comes from dating clay figures, which look very similar to figures on the Great Gallery, that were found in nearby caves. However, it is impossible to know whether these figures were made when the Great Gallery was painted. If you are really interested in the history of the Great Gallery, a guided hike is offered by the park service every Saturday at 9 AM. Call (801) 259-4351 for more information and the most up to date schedule.
No matter when they were painted, these are some of the most impressive rock art scenes we have ever seen. Pictures cannot do justice to this beautiful art or give a sense of the solitude and magic you feel as you view these large ghostly figures in this isolated canyon. You really feel like you are in an art gallery. A gallery that has been open for thousands of years.
While the Great Gallery has lasted for over a millennium, it is still very fragile. Everybody is turned off by rock art vandalism but many people fail to realize that rock art panels can be damaged accidentally by otherwise caring people. Remember to never touch pictographs or petroglyphs. Also, follow established trails and try not to undercut the rock slopes below many rock art panels.
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