Petroglyphs: King's Canyon Wash

Last week I hiked Wasson Peak, which is the highest point in the Tucson mountains, the range west of the city of Tucson. The first mile or so of the hike--starting right across the road from the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum--was along the King Canyon Wash, which I highly recommend for anyone who appreciates petroglyphs. You can also hike just the wash as a short ~2 mi round-trip trek without continuing on to the summit. 

There are stunning panels on either side of the wash, full of various geometric, zoomorphic, and anthropomorphic images etched into the rock patina. I assume that these--like most of the rock art in this region--were created by the Hohokam people. The Hohokam lived in this area for well over a millennium before Spanish contact and are well known not only for their petroglyphs but also for their canals, some of which have since been incorporated into the Salt River Project. Descendants of the Hohokam people, including the Tohono O'odham, still live here in Tucson and throughout southern Arizona.

Here is just a small sampling of the petroglyphs in King's Canyon. This was the first set my friend spotted, but upon closer inspection, we found that they covered many of the surfaces of the canyon along this stretch of the wash.

This particular wall was particularly impressive. How many petroglyphs can you find in this photo before I zoom in on smaller sub-panels?

And just when I thought maybe we'd found them all and was getting ready to put my camera away and continue hiking, I saw another whole set on the opposite side of the canyon.

Some of the petroglyphs have relatively obvious referents, especially some of the zoomorphic ones such as these ungulates (only one is really crisp and clear, but I think there are a few more below it).

Others can be a little less clear, whether because they are more abstract or because they have faded or been damaged over time. But I think this one might be a snake?

If you enjoyed these petroglyphs, I previously posted photos of other Hohokam petroglyphs from a couple of nearby sites that I visited almost two years ago. All of these sites are relatively accessible without too much hiking. If you do visit them yourself, just remember not to touch them! The oils on our hands can damage the petroglyphs. 

More photos of the rest of the hike will be coming soon, including lovely panoramic views with about a hundred miles of visibility!