Crow Canyon Petroglyphs
Crow Canyon is a historic site about 30 miles southeast of Farmington, New Mexico. Located in Dinétah, the traditional homeland of the Navajo people, the site contains a variety of Navajo ruins and rock art from the 16th, 17th, and 18th centuries.
The Crow Canyon Petroglyphs are the most extensive and well-known collection of 16th, 17th and 18th century Navajo petroglyphs (carved rock art) in the American Southwest. Earlier Ancestral Puebloan (a.k.a. Anasazi) images can also be found among the Navajo rock art. Hundreds of images of animals, humans, supernatural beings, and other images such as corn plants and bows and arrows can be found, carved on south and east-facing canyon walls. Most of the images are clustered in what are referred to as "panels," on the lower cliff faces of the canyon. Archaeologists believe the panels may have been associated with ceremonies, as many of the images are similar to Navajo ceremonial sand paintings.
The Crow Canyon National Register Archaeological District was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1974 for its examples of Navajo rock art and defensive pueblito sites. Please do not touch the rock art panels, as the acids on your skin can damage them.
Accessibility Description (ABA/ADA)
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There is a large dirt parking area, registration box, and trailhead for Crow Canyon Petroglyphs. At the beginning of the trail there are several interpretive signs. The trail itself is a shoulder-width dirt path that is relatively level, although there are several sections where visitors will have to walk, scrabble across, or slip through rocks.
- To navigate the trail, visitors will need to walk across uneven dirt, through weeds, and scramble over or through several rock sections to see the petroglyphs.
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The other sites all have either a dirt parking area or pull-off marked with a trailhead. Most of the trails are short, but overgrown and uneven.
- To navigate these trails, visitors will need to walk across uneven dirt, through weeds, and travel for up to two miles to reach the various other petroglyph sites.
KNOW BEFORE YOU GO
Fees
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None.
Facilities
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Restrooms and drinking water are not available at any of the sites.
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Crow Canyon and its neighboring sites all have dirt parking areas or pull-offs where visitors can park and a trailhead marker. Parking areas/pull-offs are not maintained by the BLM and one parks there at their own risk.
Nearby Amenities
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The nearest location to obtain gas, food, and water is in Bloomfield, ~30 miles away via Rd 4450 and US-64 W.
Season/Hours
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Open year-round, sunrise to sunset
Special Rules
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Pets must be on a 6-foot leash and their waste disposed of.
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No fireworks, discharge or use of firearms, or any other weapons in the area.
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The Antiquities Act of 1906 and the Archeological Resources Protection Act of 1979 make it illegal to excavate, remove, damage, or deface archaeological resources. Penalties of up to five years in jail and a $250,000 fine may be imposed.
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Collecting historical or archaeological artifacts from the area is not allowed.
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Practice Leave No Trace. Please make sure to carry out or dispose of any litter.
BROCHURES, MAPS, AND PUBLICATIONS
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N/A
Wildlife in Area
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Lizards
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Elk
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Mule deer
Phone
Activities
Addresses
Geographic Coordinates
Directions
To reach the petroglyphs, a high-clearance, four-wheel drive vehicle is recommended. Take County Road 4450 for 19 miles south from its junction with Highway 64. Follow the signs across Largo Wash, and then turn north and drive approximately one mile to the mouth of Crow Canyon. (NOTE: Do not cross either wash when water is present, and caution should be used when sand is either very wet or very dry. Get out of your vehicle to check the condition of the wash). Signs direct you to the main panels at the mouth of the canyon. To see the "44 Panel," follow the road up the canyon, and then park at the well pad. Signs direct you to the trail to the "44 Panel," a hike of about 3/4 of a mile.
If you get stuck, cell phone service is intermittent, and a tow could take some time. Signs direct you to the main panels at the mouth of the canyon. To see the "44 Panel," follow the road up the canyon, and then park at the well pad. Signs direct you to the trail to the "44 Panel," a hike of about 3/4 of a mile.
Fees
No