Overview

Hype:

The Little Black Mountain Petroglyph Site is comprised of over 500 glyphs made by members of several different American Indian groups over an 8,000 year period.

The site was used for several purposes including religious, ceremonial, and seasonal observations. Petroglyphs deliberately placed on boulders use the interplay of light and shadow to show seasonal changes. The glyphs that might indicate calendar observations include spirals, circles, bisected circles, plants, baskets, and constellations.

Petroglyphs

How are petroglyphs made? Three general methods were used: pecking, abrading, and scratching. These techniques removed the dark desert varnish exposing the natural rock's surface. Pecking was accomplished by striking a sharp rock directly on the boulder's surface or by using a hammer stone and pointed bone to produce a line of shallow indentations. Abrading was done simply by repeatedly rubbing or scratching the desert varnish, until there was enough contrast to produce the design.

What is desert varnish? Desert varnish is a product of an arid or semi-arid land. A little rain and lots of wind and sun are required. Desert varnish is a thin red to black coating composed of clay minerals, oxides, and hydroxides of manganese and/or iron. It is produced by the physiological activities of bacteria living on the rock's surface. The microorganisms extract manganese from the evironment, oxidize, and attach it onto rock surfaces. Desert varnish forms very slowly - it takes hundreds to thousands of years to form the very dark black color.

An Area of Critical Environmental Concern (ACEC)

Little Black Mountain has been designated an ACEC to protect its significant archeological resources. Please treat these cultural resources with respect and help preserve them for future visitors and research.

For your own personal safety, to prevent erosion, and to protect the valuable fragile resources - PLEASE STAY ON THE GRAVEL TRAIL!

Be sure to look carefully! Erosion and lichen can appear to be petroglyphs at first glance.

• Don't touch or rub glyphs - acids from the human body destroy
• Don't chalk the glyphs - chemical action destroys
• Don't climb or sit on rocks - abrasion destroys
• There are penalties for defacing or destroying petroglyphs. Information on vandalish at this site or others like it can lead to a $500 reward.

Take nothing but pictures, leave nothign but footprints. For your own safety, please stay on the trail. Your cooperation is appreciated.

Trail Condition: Class 1 (Trail is either paved or gravel. Navigation skills are not needed because there is only one trail or because there are signs. Elevation gains are gradual or there are stairs.)

Time: 1 hour

Length: 0.65 miles round trip

Elevation Gain: Negligible

Fees: None

Recommended Ages:

	0-3
	4-11
	12-19
	20-49
	50-69
	70+

Recommended Months to Visit:

Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

Jun

Jul

Aug

Sep

Oct

Nov

Dec

Links: BLM

Getting There

Navigate to 36.982693, -113.502862.

Maps

Closest City or Region: St. George, Utah

Coordinates: 36.982693, -113.502862

Interactive Guide Map

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January 26, 2017 Trip Report

By Jeremy Dye

Trip Members

Jeremy Dye,

Logistics

30 minutes

Story

I went down to St. Greorge for a conference and had a little extra time, so I dropped by the Little Black Mountain Petroglyphs and then over to Glitter Mountain before heading home.

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Pictures