Rangely, Colorado

General George Crook was a career United States Army officer noted for his distinguished service during the Civil War and Indian Wars.  According to local historian, this panel was created by a Ute scout who had worked for General Crook.  Crook was known to have hired Ute and Shoshone scouts during this time.  Legend links the panel to a traditional Ute story of two young men who were able to sneak into Crook's Wyoming camp and steal a number of horses, including one bearing Crook's brand.

Now riddled with bullet marks, this is a Pacomio Chacon original.  Chacon was a Hispanic sheepherder who created a series of pin-up style petroglyphs in the mid 1970's in this area and whose aspen carvings can be found throughout Colorado.

"We are here because we aint in hell but we are on our way"  

reads this panel believed to be etched sometime in the 1800's by a passing cowboy.

The Carrot Men

Notice three figures on the far right which have been lost due to thousands of years of the elements.

These pictographs are painted in a blue pigment, possibly azurite, that is extremely rare in this area.

Where the colors are believed to come from

Easter Sunrise Services have been held at this site since 1950

Historic Chew Ranch

In 1910, Jack Chew was searching for a good home for both his family and his cattle.  He found it here, in the area known as Pool Creek.

Pool Creek Petroglyphs

These petroglyphs feature dot-pattern designs and are high above the creek along the rock face.

Steamboat Rock

Echo Park is located in the heart of Dinosaur's canyon country. Here, the Yampa River flows into the Green River, which winds around the massive feature known as Steamboat Rock. The meeting of the two rivers along with nearby geologic faults created some of the monument's most dramatic scenery.

Cryptobiotic Soil Crusts

These crusts are composed primarily of very small organisms that cannot be seen with the naked eye. Well-developed cryptobiotic soil crust is often much darker than the soil it is on top of, and has a sponge-like look, with bumps and small pinnacles.

Canyon Pintado (Spanish for "Painted Canyon") received its name in 1776 when Fathers Dominguez and Escalante noted numerous examples of ancient Native American rock art as they traveled through the Douglas Creek Valley. 

Look Out Point

This name may not accurately describe the activity that took place here over a thousand years ago.

It took a fair amount of physical labor to carefully align and drill a number of holes in the solid rock here on this elevated point.  Why did they do it?  The Fremont people who built this site appear to have designed a very effective calendar here.  For people who were trying to grow crops such as corn, beans or squash, having an idea of the frost free seasons might be important.  Also, in some cultures the religious cycle is intimately linked to the seasons or the annual lunar cycle.