Petroglyph Pools Trail
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Petroglyph Pools Trail
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Visit a little-known ancient archive in Zion National Park. The petroglyphs along the Petroglyph Pools trail are approximately 1000-year-old drawings left by the Ananzi or Paiute peoples, indigenous to this area of the United States. The trail continues up from these drawings to a slickrock slot canyon found up above the wash basin.
Getting there
Pull off route 9 approximately 9.0mi east of Springdale, and about 1.3mi from the second (shorter) highway tunnel. The parking area is on the right-hand (south) side of the highway, at the top of a prominent, north to south turn in the road.
About
| Backcountry Campground | No |
| When to do | March to November |
| Pets allowed | No |
| Route Signage | Poor |
| Crowd Levels | Moderate |
| Route Type | Out and back |
| Family friendly | Yes |
Petroglyph Pools Trail
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Petroglyph Pools Trail Description
The Petroglyph Pools trail is an unmaintained path past ancient petroglyphs and up to a high slot canyon. The petroglyphs along this trail are approximately 1000 years old, and were likely made by the Paiute or Ananzi peoples. Please be respectful of these ancient archives. Do not touch or lean against the petroglyphs and do not leave any markings of your own on the canyon walls. Vandalism has been an issue in this area, and it is important to preserve these historical drawings for future generations to learn from and to admire.
From the parking area: either cross over to the north side of the road or follow the clear creek trail down and under the highway through the stone culvert. Follow the sloped canyon walls to your left as they become more vertical. A 30ft side trail on the left hand side will take you up to the petroglyphs. Please do not touch or deface this piece of human history, be respectful of your presence as a visitor to this canyon and admire from a distance. From the petroglyphs, the main trail continues up the side of the wash for about a mile to a slot canyon above. This part of the trail will require some bouldering/scrambling, so only continue up if you are a confident hiker.
Once you’ve had your fill exploring the canyon and wash basin, turn back and follow your path back to the parking area.
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