By Dave Webb
May, 2024
There are many great rock art images along the Santa Clara River in southwest Utah. One of my favorites is on the ridge overlooking the river and Gunlock Road, just south of Gunlock Reservoir.
Large black boulders are covered with art and other rocks in the area have one or two images. The images include what looks to me like animals, humanoids, squiggles, spirals, and other geometric designs. I don’t know what they mean but I love to see them.
The hike is short but moderately steep and you do have to scramble over rocks. It begins at Mile Marker 3 on Gunlock Road. (Drive Old Hwy 91 west from Santa Clara, turn north onto Gunlock Road, and park at Mile Marker 3. If you are coming from the north, it is about 5 miles south of the town of Gunlock.)
The parking area is small but will accommodate 2-3 vehicles. It is located alongside a cliff. The rock art is on top of that cliff overlooking the canyon.
From the parking area, walk north along the road for a short distance to the end of the cliff until you come to a deep wash coming in from the right (east). An old eroding road was built into the hillside on the edge of the wash. Hike up that road until the cliff ends and the terrain levels out a bit. Right at the end of the cliff a faint hiker-made trail cuts across the ridge back toward the highway. Follow that trail as best you can until you come to the edge of the ridge and you are overlooking the river. Then follow the edge of the ridge north until you come to the rock art.
You may have to explore a short distance to find the rock art, but you should be pretty close when you reach the cliff's edge. You’ll have to scramble around and over boulders to get a good view of the art.
Most hikers can go up, view the art, and come back down in an hour or so. Plan on two hours if you want to search the cliff for additional images.
This area gets very hot on summer afternoons but summer hiking can be pleasant during morning hours. Conditions are nice during other seasons including winter afternoons.
