Montezuma Canyon
Archaeological District
Personal Notes
This page presents our personal notes on our visit to the Montezuma Canyon Archaeological District east of Blanding, Utah.
Sunday, May 24, 2008
2:50 p.m.
From Recapture Pocket we drove back to the paved road, and continued on south to meet Highway 163. From there we turned east until we reached the small community of Montezuma Creek. It was 76 degrees and sunny.
From there we drove north on a paved road marked 262. When we came to an intersection with signs pointing toward Hatch Trading Post and Hovenweep National Monument we turned toward those two (at GPS Coordinates 37 25.203N; 109 20.054W; at an elevation of 5,213 feet).
3:35 p.m.
After passing the Hatch Trading Post it got a bit confusing. We turned north on a road that we think was County Road 446, but it was unmarked. We headed north toward Montezuma Creek. The map coordinates of this intersection are 37 23.511N; 109 13.595W; at an elevation of 4,705 feet.
Along the way we got off on Road 206 and had to stop and turn around and go back. We were busy looking at the scenery and didn’t notice that the road turned off to the right. The intersection where the Montezuma Creek Road heads to the north is at Map Coordinates (NAD83): 37 29.863N; 109 14.016W; at an elevation of 4,894 feet. We headed north along this road in search of the Three Kiva Pueblo. I assumed that it would be along the prominent cliff faces in this area, but we did not find it. After driving quite a ways north, we gave up, since it was beginning to get late. We were surprised that there were no signs indicating the site, since there are brochures talking about it at the Blanding Visitor Center. We turned around and headed back to the south.
5:07 p.m.
While we were driving down the Montezuma Creek Road, I happened to notice a small panel of rock art. We got out and photographed it. Contact us for the exact GPS Coordinates. The panel is on a west facing surface.
From that point on south, to just before we turned back onto Road 206, we found all sorts of great rock art on the prominent run of cliffs on the west side of the road. We spotted all sorts of images from the car, and even more when we walked up to take photos. We could have continued on to the end of the cliffs, but we were running out of daylight and still need to drive quite a ways back to Blanding. Contact us for the exact GPS Coordinates.
I did spot more interesting pieces on our way out, but we could not stop. We will go back at some time and track down more, and maybe drive the entire length of the canyon to the north.
5:17 p.m.
Along the drive out, between the first rock art site and the last point, I spotted a ruin site back among the cliffs, along the west side of the road, behind some tall trees. I took a photo from the road. It is just a bit south of the first pictos.
Just a little farther down the road, to the west, is another cliff dwelling, about half way up the cliff, in a narrow ledge.
5:30 p.m.
More rock art panels on the west side of the road. Also a small grain silo stuck up underneath an overhang.
5:56 p.m.
Fantastic panel. Maybe a couple hundred feet long. A large horse head and bison. Contact us for the exact GPS Coordinates. From here it looks like you could work your way north and south along the cliff to find more pieces.
6:36 p.m.
After a long but scenic drive along Road 206 (well maintained gravel) we made it back to Blanding.
