Petroglyph National Monument

We were leaving on Sunday so on Saturday we picked up some groceries, gassed up the truck and topped up the DEF fluid.  We also stopped in at the Petroglyph National Monument.  Petroglyphs are images created on rocks by chipping away the dark external layer exposing the lighter coloured rock underneath.  There is said to be over 24,000 images at this one National Monument (National Monuments are not necessarily monuments as such, but often, as in this case, large tracts of land more typically considered a national park).  Many of the images were created 400-700 years ago although some are thought to be 2,000-3,000 years old.  These images are quite common in the Southwestern US.  Perhaps its the lack of rainfall and extreme freezing and thawing that help preserve these ancient artifacts.  

Here are a few of the Petroglyphs that we saw on our brief hike. 

Roadrunner, honk, honk!

The black rock are the result of volcanic activity millions of years ago. 

Next stop Sun Valley and the Petrified Forest National Park.