Three Rivers Petroglyphs

Today, we went in search of more ancient history and art. North of us on highway 54 is Lincoln National Forest and within that is the Three Rivers Petroglyph site. There is a nice little campground and picnic area at the entrance and a charming couple that act as hosts for the area.



We were expecting to find mountains and cliffs with the drawings on them. So, it was surprising to see a series of low hills with people clambering all over them. We showed our National Parks card, grabbed our water bottles and trail guide and began climbing. There is a nice, yet rugged, series of trails that wind through the hills. However the best petroglyphs are found by going off trail.


Some of the drawings represent animals.....


Some represent people.....


And some are just unknown symbols.


The rock outcroppings were fascinating. Doug climbed every one that he could possible get to while I was a little more careful. I'm not quite the mountain goat that he is.


The higher we climbed, the more intricate and detailed the petroglyphs became. We saw drawings of hunters chasing animals, as well as animals pierced with arrows.



And some of the pictures were very large. Doug stood next to this one to give you some idea of the size of the carving. Truly fascinating.


After a couple of hours in the direct sun without a hat, I was starting to feel the effects. My face was beet red and I was sick to my stomach. At the top of the second hill we found a shelter and I rested while Doug searched for more drawings. The Archaeological Society of New Mexico recorded more than 21,000 petrogyphs in this area. I think Doug found 20,999 of them and took pictures. (just kidding)

We could have continued hiking and snapping photos for days, but instead, we found our way back to the car and started home. About 15 miles from the rv park, we noticed a small rv on the roadside. It appeared to be a blowout so Doug pulled over to see if he could help. Turns out to be a 70 year couple with their two small grandkids. The gentlemen had removed the destroyed tire but didn't have the strength to lift the spare tire into place on the wheel. Within minutes, Doug was able to help him get it all put back together and we were on our way. It feels nice to help someone on the road.