Echo Park Petroglyphs

These petroglyphs in Echo Park (Dinosaur Nat'l Monument) were interesting for a couple reasons.

First, unlike most Anasazi petroglyphs, these were deeply chiseled into the rock instead of painted on. It's apparent there has been more than one attempt at the image (owl?) before the full image was completed. I found the wide flat depressions of the tail feathers particularly interesting in their technique.

Second, the artist felt it necessary to make these carvings about 30 feet above the ground, and found a way to do that.

That is so cool. Thanks for sharing that great image and the story behind it. Andrew

I've seen those petroglyphs and they are unlike any others I have seen. Very cool. Never thought of this one as an owl but I think you might be right. I thought it was a flying VW van!

Very nice piece of history. The more you look at it, the more it does look like an owl.

They are pretty interesting petroglyphs and really quite different than most I've seen. Most I've seen have been thinly etched in desert varnish rather than these drilled and carved ones. The painted on variety of rock art such as the harvest panel in the Maze District are pictographs.

Cool find.

Phillip, I've been looking at this image for the last 6 months before it hit me the other day that it could very well be an owl. Before that I was just guessing without a conclusion. But the idea that an ancient native American chiseled a flying VW van into the side of cliff hundreds of years ago is utterly ridiculous. Everybody knows there aren't and never were any flying VW vans ... just the wingless kind.

Cool!