GlossyVeneer

Today the husband and I went to Parowan Gap. I had never been to this spot before, despite living in the area for many years. The spouse did a documentary on the area when we were in college, so he had been before. It’s listed as one of the best things to see in the Cedar City area, so I decided that we should check it out.

Parowan Gap is a wind gap – a geological landform marking where an ancient river has cut a 600-foot-deep notch through the hills. Throughout the rocks in the gap are ancient petroglyphs. The precise age of these petroglyphs is not yet known, but it is known that the agriculturally based Sevier-Fremont lived in the area over a thousand years ago. It is thought that some of the designs were made by this group. Researchers believe that the semi-nomadic ancestors of the present day Southern Paiute also created some of these figures. What these designs mean is still unknown. Archaeologists debate that they represent concepts, ideas or actual happenings. The Parowan Gap Petroglyphs are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The rock art should be photographed or sketched but not touched in any way, as researchers hope to be able to date the petroglyphs someday. The majority of the petroglyphs are on the north side of the gap. The southern rocks also have carvings, but those are more modern. Most of them are people who have written their name and the year they were there into the rock. There are not very many of these, but some of them say they are from the 60′s, the 40′s and one from 1882.

Why did they climb all the way up the rock to draw? I could climb up, but I’d be hanging on with both hands, leaving me no way to carve the rock.

Not all of the petroglyphs were up high. Some of them were at ground level, barely visible above the weeds and dirt.

It is obvious that this area has experienced a lot of rock slides. Some chunks of rock are covered in petroglyphs, like this one.

In the middle of this section, there is a petroglyph that I figure must have been the old Native American symbol for Mickey Mouse. See the resemblance?

This is a shot of the storm that was in the east, moving toward us. It didn’t give us any rain, just lots of thunder and lightning.

Driving Directions
From Cedar City: Go north on Main (or take Interstate 15 Exit 62) to UT 130. Continue north 13.5 miles, then turn east (right) 2.5 miles on a good gravel road to Parowan Gap.

From Parowan: Go north on Main to 400 North. Turn west (left) for 10.5 miles on good gravel road (near Milepost 19).

Song playing now: Jammin’ by Bob Marley
Categorized: Cool Things Near My Home #2