MiniTour
Canyon Pintado
Ancient pictographs make an intriguing roadside tour on the way to Dinosaur National Monument.
Story and Photos By Carrie Patrick  Some roads lend themselves to an easy catch-phrase better than others. Thousands have dreamed of getting their kicks on Route 66, but few would snap their fingers to “See some signs on Highway 139.”
That's too bad, because the 70 miles between Fruita and Rangely traversed by Colorado State Highway 139 contain plenty to sing about. Often overlooked as simply the road to better-known Dinosaur National Monument , its hills hide enough for a half-day's itinerary. For this is Canyon Pintado, the “painted canyon” of the Ute and Fremont cultures. It's an outdoor museum on a grand scale, and all the more intriguing because so few people stop to view its treasures.
The exhibits in this museum are scattered over more than 200 sites: a boulder here, a hollow there—a strange landscape bursting with secret life, painted or carved centuries ago. A cliff waves a cheery hand as you pass. A high orange ridge of sandstone spreads its wings in a flurry of white birds. A rock half-hidden in tangled brush, on closer examination, suddenly flourishes antlers and prances on tiny deer's hooves. A bizarre little red being, his head all teeth and tentacles, flings his arms wide on a wall in a gesture that may once have had other meaning, but today looks like a delighted grin of welcome. “There you are! Welcome to my canyon—isn't it a great day?”
Although 16 roadside sites in the valley are signposted, the signs can be hard to spot until you've almost driven past. Look for brochures with maps at tourist stops in Fruita and Grand Junction before you begin, or download one from www.rangely.com/Area_Map.html, which gives mile post numbers as a guide to finding the sites.
As Highway 139 winds up into the hills that guard Canyon Pintado's secrets, this part of the journey is pure “scenic drive.” Be sure to pull over occasionally and look back to enjoy the view. Watch for wandering cattle—much of the land is open range.
The first stop as you head north is Waving Hands Site, at mile post 53.5. A few steps from the tiny pullout, an overhanging ledge guards two white hands and a white bird. Look carefully to see horses, arrows and other figures on the surrounding rock. Around the corner is a faded red guardian figure. As at many of the sites, both Ute and Fremont cultures are represented. Artists sometimes covered the work of their predecessors with clay, perhaps hoping to remove the influence of the spirits represented.
Although Waving Hands and several other sites are marked on maps as being wheelchair-accessible, this is an optimistic view. Pullouts are usually deep gravel or dirt, with short walks over non-level ground or narrow overgrown trails leading to the rock art. Some sites, however, can be seen from your vehicle—the best is a large Kokopelli figure on the west side of the road at Canyon Pintado Site (mile post 56). This major site was described in 1776 by the Escalante expedition, which first gave the Painted Canyon its Spanish name.
Less obvious is White Birds Site, only half a mile further down the road. A steep but thankfully short climb to the viewing platform reveals bird figures, a multicolored “carrot” and more.
The next two stops don't require much effort. At Cow Canyon Site (mile post 57.8) you can turn off onto a gravel road and follow the signs until you see panels of humanoid and abstract designs on your left. Walking closer, you will find numerous petroglyphs—designs cut or tapped into the rock. (Painted designs are called pictographs.) This side road is not maintained in winter, so use your own judgment (in summer it is easily passable by car, if a little bumpy). Back on the main road, State Bridge Site at mile post 59.7 provides a short path to a boulder-strewn ridge on the south of the parking area, decorated with deer trail designs and more small humanoids.
Those who want to stretch their legs shouldn't miss East Fourmile Draw, at mile post 67.6. This is one of the best stops, though it isn't a strictly roadside experience. The loop trail beginning from the parking area takes about 40 minutes to complete and is mostly flat, with a couple of scrambles required to cross dry creek beds. Archeological sites are explained on informational signs. There is plenty of Fremont rock art here—make sure you follow the trail all the way to Sun Dagger Site, where painted concentric circles and daggers use the shadow of the rocks to mark the summer solstice.
You'll also find a giant petrified log embedded in a cliff, and the ruins of a pioneer line camp. Shacks like this were built as short-term shelters for cowboys working away from the main camp. When you see the line camp, follow the cliff along to the left to see an exceptional panel of petroglyphs at ground level. The Hanging Hearth site at East Fourmile Draw was continuously occupied for 3,000 years—an awe-inspiring thought for us newcomers, representatives of a nation barely into its third century.
Driving Canyon Pintado is a truly remarkable experience. It's also an experiment in trust. How do you guard an art gallery that covers 16,000 acres and 17 miles of highway? Sadly, vandalism both modern and historic can be seen at many of the sites: bullet holes scar one cliff in East Fourmile Draw, and pictographs within easy reach tempt the viewer's hand. Please don't give in to temptation. Even a gentle touch will hasten the loss of these priceless cultural treasures.
Perhaps the most remarkable aspect of Canyon Pintado is the sense of immediacy that comes from seeing these drawings in such an unhindered environment. There are no entry fees, no guided tours, no structure or formality, and often no other visitors. Even so, the sense of abandonment that usually haunts a ruin is wholly absent here—there is nothing to indicate the long years during which the canyon's dancing animals and little red guardians watched their people and their world move on.
Standing before a joyous glyph of a bighorn sheep, tapped into the sun-colored stone centuries before Columbus sailed west, it's easy to feel that perhaps the artist has simply stepped away for a moment, and might return at any time to hear your compliments.
Carrie Patrick is managing editor of EnCompass.
Planning Your Trip
Driving time from Grand Junction to Rangely is approximately 1 hour and 45 minutes without stops. Most signposted petroglyph/pictograph sites are under a minute's walk from the roadside.
A full-day excursion can include Canyon Pintado, Rangely and a glimpse into Dinosaur National Monument at either the Colorado or Utah entrance. Fruita and Grand Junction offer a wide variety of accommodations; lodging in Rangely is limited, so plan in advance if you wish to stay there overnight.
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