The strangest detour in Arizona | Painted Rock Petroglyph Site

Here's what you'll find if you visit Painted Rock Petroglyph Site in southwestern Arizona, near Gila Bend and Dateland. This video covers the ancient rock carvings etched onto boulders in a huge pile, plus their history and meaning. You'll also find out about the primitive Painted Rock Petroglyph campground and facilities, and go over some information about getting there from Interstate 8. Watch to see my tips on how to get the most of your visit.

These petroglyphs were carved as early as 1,400 years ago by Native Americans who lived along the Gila River. Painted Rock is the largest such petroglyph site in this part of the United States. The images include people, animals like lizards and snakes, and geometric patterns like swirls and mazes. They aren't hidden behind cases in a museum environment, but are right in front of you, on the ground in the sun, with no barriers. (But please don't touch!) The exact meaning of the inscriptions is not agreed upon, but this video explains some of the competing theories.

Painted Rock Petroglyph Site is an easy stop-off to make while traveling in this part of Arizona, whether you're camping overnight at the site in an RV or tent, or just swinging by for a short visit. Seeing these ancient rock carvings is instructive for anyone interested in the early history of the Americas and for those who like to see and learn new things when they travel.

In this video:
0:41 About the Petroglyphs
2:32 History and Meaning of the Petroglyphs
6:11 Visiting and Camping at Painted Rock
9:39 The Area Around Painted Rock (including Gila Bend)

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[josephbingham]

Very interesting video... A sidebar about the Gila River. Christmans Eve 1944 25 German POWs escaped from a POW camp in Phoenix. Three of the escapes who had a map showing the usually dry Gila River as a blue line had made a canvas covered boat to sail down the Gila to the Colorado River and then down to Mexico. It didn't work out! See Warfare History Network Escape into Arizona's desert: German prisoners in WW2. :)