The Great Gallery Trail
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The Great Gallery Trail
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The Great Gallery Trail is an incredible hike to and through Horseshoe Canyon. Horseshoe Canyon contains some of the most incredible and well-known petroglyphs and pictographs in North America. This hike passes by three galleries and ends at the Great Gallery—a 200ft panel of over 20 breathtaking drawings.
Getting there
This hike begins at the Mailbox junction on Lower San Rafael Road.
About
| Backcountry Campground | Camping at Horseshoe Campground |
| When to do | Year-round |
| Pets allowed | No |
| Family friendly | No |
| Route Signage | Average |
| Crowd Levels | Moderate |
| Route Type | Out and back |
The Great Gallery Trail
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The Great Gallery Trail Description
The Great Gallery Trail is a fantastic challenge for experienced hikers. This trail is long, so bring lots of water and some salty snacks to power your day hiking in the desert. Good footwear is essential, and hiking poles are recommended for this route. The Great Gallery Trail brings you to and through Horseshoe Canyon, which contains some of the most beautiful and renowned petroglyphs and pictographs in North America. As with any form of ancient art, do not touch or lean on the panels and do not leave any drawings of your own on the canyon walls.
Starting at the trailhead, follow Horseshoe Overlook road southeast to the Horseshoe Canyon West Trailhead. Follow the trail down into the canyon to a fork- take a right to continue south through the canyon. You will pass by three galleries before arriving at your destination – the Great Gallery.
The Great Gallery is the most impressive pictograph and petroglyph panel in Horseshoe Canyon. With incredible drawings of life-sized human figures, this 200-foot panel is the figurative Mona Lisa of this hike. Take your time to stand in awe of this piece of history before turning around and following the same route back out to the trailhead.
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