To be honest, it didn’t look very promising, at least not yet.

“Yep, it’s up ahead a few more miles,” I responded, in a tone that likely overstated my own confidence.

We had already driven an hour from Phoenix to Gila Bend, then another hour west along Interstate 8, then turned off at an exit to seemingly nowhere, jogged back east a mile along the access road, then turned north on an unremarkable dirt road impossibly named Avenue 76½ E. Along this rough-at-times road, we had passed two desert squatter communities, an out-of-place boat shipwrecked on the top of a small hill, and miles of seemingly barren desert.

Some skepticism was probably to be expected. After all, I hadn’t exactly explained where we were going; I had just said that we’d find some rock art when we got there.

As it turns out, we were indeed on the correct road. A few miles further ahead was the Sears Point petroglyph site, an array of prehistoric and historic petroglyphs carved into a basalt ridge overlooking the floodplain of the once mighty Gila River. This is BLM land, a site well known by those who hunt rock art, but not a destination where you’ll find many tourists.

Finally, the road crested a small ridge, dipped towards the dry riverbed in the distance, and we could see our destination ahead. Ribbons of sandy driving routes spiderwebbed around tamarisk and mesquite clumps that dotted the lowland. I was glad to have my Subaru as we sloshed through deep pockets of sand and gravel, maintaining enough speed around the corners to avoid getting stuck. And just like that, we arrived at a patch of dirt sporting two informational kiosks and some carsonite signs indicating the road’s end. We parked, stepped out of the subie, and immediately scanned the butte for the first sign of rock art.

“There’s some over there,” I said, nearly in code, and pointed towards a prominent panel gazing down upon us.

We grabbed some cold water from the cooler, donned our daypacks, and scrambled up towards the first panel with cameras in hand. And so began our rather impromptu visit to Sears Point.

The Sears Point petroglyph site

Archaeologists consider Sears Point to be one of the most significant rock art sites in the Southwest. In addition to more than 2,000 rock art panels incorporating nearly 10,000 petroglyph elements, the area contains a number of geoglyphs and other archaeological and historical features.

Simply put, there’s a lot to see out here. And you’ll need to do some exploring to see it.

Sears Point is just one of several other similar sites along the Gila River, including Quail Point, Hummingbird Point, and Oatman Point just a bit upstream. The only site signed from the interstate is Painted Rock, a now-defunct state park that’s since reverted to BLM management. I won’t get into what you’ll find at each of these sites, how to get to them, or what makes them special, but a quick google search will answer most questions one would have.

It’s important to note that while Sears Point is a named archaeological district, and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and is managed as an Area of Critical Environmental Concern by BLM, sadly none of these adds sufficient protection for this site or its neighboring ones.

The campaign to protect the Great Bend of the Gila

As a result, several organizations—led by Archaeology Southwest and the National Trust for Historic Preservation—have been campaigning to protect Sears Point and other important archaeological and historical sites upstream as the Great Bend of the Gila National Monument. It’s a good idea and the cultural resources here are definitely worthy of such a designation.

The short video below explains a bit more about the cultural heritage this campaign seeks to protect.

Some tips if you plan on visiting

• You’ll want an AWD or 4WD vehicle to drive to the parking area, though don’t attempt it if it’s rained recently. You could probably make the drive with a 2WD high clearance vehicle if you stopped short of the deepest sand, which starts around here, roughly a mile from the main petroglyph panels. Either way, be prepared to extricate yourself if you get stuck no matter what you’re driving.
• Don’t go in the summer heat, and be prepared with water and shade. You’ll spend your entire visit scrambling over rocks while the sun beats relentlessly down on you, so please act accordingly. If it’s warm out, you might want to consider gloves to protect your hands from hot rocks.
• If you don’t have much time, check out the rock art panels near the top of the butte to the right. The largest panels and most easily accessible glyphs are found in that area, which will require some scrambling to get up to the faint trail that connects them. If you can, spend some time exploring the entire area, including the tops of the basalt mesas—there are thousands of petroglyphs, geoglyphs, rock alignments, and other artifacts in walking distance of your car. Stay alert to your surroundings and bring a gps to help you find your way back.
• Photographing sometimes faint petroglyphs on shiny basalt in the glaring sun can be a challenge, so keep this in mind as you plan your arrival and departure times. A circular polarizing filter can also be helpful in reducing shine and helping the rock art stand out better. An umbrella can both help keep you cool and shade smaller glyphs for better photographs. I wish I had considered these things before my visit.
• Practice Leave No Trace principles, and don’t touch the petroglyphs or do anything else that might impact the site. Once damaged, we can never get these resources back.
• Want to learn more about lesser-known archaeological sites the public hasn’t ever heard of? Here’s the very best way to do that.
• Do some research before you go, especially on other nearby sites, if you’d like to make a longer day out of it. There are many accessible places to explore in the surrounding area and within the Great Bend of the Gila proposal area.

How to get there

From Gila Bend, Arizona, drive west on I-8 towards Yuma for roughly 30 mins to exit 78, Spot Road. At the end of the off ramp, turn north and then right on the frontage road. Head back east for about 1 mile to Avenue 76½E, then go north along the dirt road for about 7 miles. When you hit the sandy wash, stay on the most used route and aim for the low buttes to the west. You’ll find a small dirt parking area and two kiosks; park here and explore the area on foot.

The post Exploring the Sears Point petroglyph site appeared first on rscottjones.

There are hundreds of these sites that are well-known and publicly interpreted, usually in national parks, state parks, national forests, or on other public lands.

And then there are a host of other ruins and sites that aren’t publicized, but—especially in the age of the Internet—are still easily located with some basic research.

And then there are the secret sites. The confidential ones. These aren’t the ones you’ll find listed in guidebooks or on a blog post, and they may not even be well known by the land managers themselves. Their locations are often obscured, even in archaeological literature.

How to find the secret sites

There is a way to learn of these secret sites, however. It requires a bit of work, but it’s very rewarding and educational. And you’ll be giving back to the public lands you love. Here’s how:

Become a site steward.

Site stewardship is a relatively new phenomena on or public lands, but it’s a powerful one. It’s one of the most rewarding volunteer opportunities I’ve participated in.

What does a site steward do?

Simply put, a site steward is a trained volunteer that monitors a specific set of archaeological resources. They regularly visit the sites in their portfolio, looking for the signs of damage and trying to head off future negative impacts. They serve as the eyes and ears of land managers who are often understaffed and increasingly office-bound.

The benefits of being a site steward

The main benefits of being a site steward come down to two words: access and knowledge.

Site stewards are not only given detailed information about the archaeological sites they monitor, but also learn about many other sites in the program. In addition, archaeologists often utilize site stewards in special projects, everything from inventorying areas for artifacts to helping to record rock art to conducting research.

In addition, strong communities often form around the programs, providing some serious opportunities for networking and learning.

When you’re accepted in a site steward program, you’ll receive some basic training. Here in Arizona, that means a half-day of classroom instruction followed by a half-day field visit.

In addition, there are annual site steward conferences, plus other archaeology conferences and other special events. All together, these educational opportunities will completely expand and enhance the way you recreate on our public lands.

Site steward programs

• Alabama/TVA
• Arizona
• California
• Florida
• Montana
• Nevada
• New Mexico
• Wyoming

No site steward program in your state?

Not every state has a statewide site stewardship program, but some states not listed above have partial programs. You can also contact one of the federal land managers, such as the US Forest Service or the Bureau of Land Management, to see if they have active programs in your area.

If you still aren’t having any luck, don’t despair. Para-archaeologist organizations like the Arizona Archaeological Society offer similar training, networking, and volunteer opportunities. You can attend conferences and guided trips with organizations such as the Utah Rock Art Research Association and American Rock Art Research Association. And other organizations, like Archaeology Southwest, National Trust for Historic Preservation, and the Crow Canyon Archaeological Center advocate on behalf of cultural resources on public lands and have a variety of programs to get involved. A few google searches will likely find a similar organization in your neck of the woods.

The photo of “Hidden Bird” petroglyph site in Agua Fria National Monument, which is monitored by the Arizona Site Steward volunteers, is courtesy of the stellar Bob Wick of BLM.

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