Petroglyph Point Trail loop – Mesa Verde National Park
Petroglyph Point Trail loop – Mesa Verde National Park
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Petroglyph Point Trail loop – Mesa Verde National Park
01:15
4.51km
80m
Hiking
The Petroglyph Point Trail takes you into Spruce Canyon with great views over the adjacent gorges. But the huge stone wall with petroglyphs halfway along the trail is particularly exciting. The trail follows a well-trodden path of the indigenous Pueblo tribe and is narrow and rocky, especially in the first part that winds along the rock.
It starts in the center of Mesa Verde National Park with a start in the wooded landscape of Spruce Canyon. The trail you follow here used to connect the local pueblos at the Spruce Tree House with other dwellings within the canyon. Since the trail runs close to the edge here and there, it is worth stopping now and then to enjoy the view.
After about halfway, you climb up a stone staircase and stand in front of the impressive petroglyph wall. More than thirty human and animal figures, spirals and handprints cover an area over ten meters wide. After you have climbed out of the canyon, the path becomes wider and you can hike back to the parking lot comfortably and with great views.
by VisitTheUSA
Last updated: December 3, 2024
Waypoints
Start point
Parking
Get Directions
73 m
Mesa Verde National Park
Highlight • Historical Site
Tip by
1.53 km
Great Canyon View
Highlight • Viewpoint
Tip by
2.40 km
Petroglyph Panel
Highlight • Historical Site
Tip by
4.51 km
End point
Parking
Way Types & Surfaces
Way Types
2.41 km
2.04 km
< 100 m
< 100 m
Surfaces
3.90 km
289 m
284 m
< 100 m
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Elevation
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Thursday 7 May
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This route was planned by komoot.
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Trail Reviews
Komoot describes this tour as "easy". The park ranger was horrified when I asked him about safety and he heard this from me. You have to be sure-footed, some passages are exposed. At one point you have to climb, i.e. know how to place your foot and how to pull yourself up the rock. The way back, on the other hand, is completely easy. Overall, I would describe the tour as "moderately difficult".
Last day of vacation, tomorrow it's back by car to Denver to take my flight to Paris. But today, here I am at Mesa Verde National Park (Colorado) which combines magnificent landscapes and history, with the ruins of ancestral Pueblo communities (it is a World Heritage Site). The first hike of the day was along and just below a cliff, encountering a small village, petroglyphs, and visiting the museum retracing the history and way of life of these communities. Exciting !
The trail is listed as the most difficult in Mesa Verde but, if you are used to hiking in the mountains, it is not particularly difficult. There are some parts where you might have to climb with your hands but it is a normal (and well marked) mountain trail. Once you reach the rim, the return is even better on a wide, flat and well maintained trail. However, the trail is beautiful and the views of the canyon are incredible.
The Spruce Canyon Trail and Petroglyph Point Trail both begin at the museum. They are the same length, but the Spruce Canyon Trail took me 1 hour and the Petroglyph Point Trail took me 1.5 sins. The Petroglyph Point Trail is much harder to walk and has some climbing areas. In contrast to the Spruce Canyon Trail, it offers a couple of very nice viewpoints.
Since the transition from the Sprouce House Trail, this part is a beautiful and easy hiking trail, to the Pheroglyph Trail is more climbing than hiking, it should be easier to do the tour in the opposite direction. The difficulty level of the tour must be changed to medium to difficult, as the path goes up and down over many narrow steps, sometimes very narrow between the rocks and always close to the abyss. But the view is worth it. The time given as 31 minutes is not correct, you should plan at least 80 minutes for the round trip
Comments
October 12, 2024
The Petroglyph Point Trail takes you into Spruce Canyon with great views over the adjacent gorges. But the huge stone wall with petroglyphs halfway along the trail is particularly exciting. The trail follows a well-trodden path of the indigenous Pueblo tribe and is narrow and rocky, especially in the
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