Driving from Escalante to Bolder, UT, along the Escalante River, there is a fascinating series of petroglyphs, including a unique shamanic hunter, 100 hand prints panel, and a duo of Big Horn sheep.

From the image above, the shaman hunter image on the left side is curious because I’ve never seen an image with a shaman as a hunter. Typically, the hunting scenes are separate images of warriors, whereas shaman figures are usually depicted in ceremonial garbs and settings, and these figures appear to have both elements.

The elk petroglyph is intriguing with the deliberate placement of footprint tracks, which indicates the process of tracking the elk as part of a hunt. The three shaman figures in the center are the primary reason I need to reshoot this panel under better lighting conditions. The archaic anthropomorphic bodies with headdresses, necklaces, and some type of belt are aesthetically balanced. This group is intriguing because the center shaman has a smaller shamanistic figure inside the body. That is a unique and interesting design, and we can only speculate as to what it is intended to represent.

Other panels in the area include 100 Hand Prints. Handprint pictographs are common and are thought to represent the artist’s signature. This fascinating panel seems different in that so many are neatly painted in rows. This could have been recording a community gathering or a prayer request to a supernatural power. It is hard to tell if the handprints are from the same person or multiple people. However, there are enough differences in palm size, finger length, and width that it seems like these are from different hands.

Photos and location summary by Don Metz

Trail Difficulty - MODERATE

Easy boot worn trail with minor scrambling up a short slope and low route-finding skill.

GPS Coordinates & Elevation

37°46'38.1"N 111°25'18.7"W

5,463 ft Elevation

Other Images

Directions

CLICK HERE to get driving directions to the Escalante River Panel

From Escalante - drive 13 miles south of Boulder on UT-24 or 14.5 miles east and north of Escalante on UT-24. Look for the brown road sign for the Escalante River Trailhead. For Google Maps directions, input “Escalante River Trailhead.”

The trailhead is across the road from the parking area. Look for the trailhead sign and trail markers. The trail quickly ascends up the hillside to the west via switchbacks. The trail then pivots east and follows the wash for a short distance and then turns north out of the wash towards the cliff base. There’s a couple of cairns that mark the turn north. The petroglyph panels are at the base of the exposed cliff wall and requires some minor scrambling on the loose rock and dirt to reach the rock shelf. Once you’re on the shelf, follow the base of the cliff west to all three panels.

Google Earth

EXIF Data

Focal Length – 200 mm
Exposure – 1/25 sec @ f 8
ISO – 100

Best Time of Day to Shoot

Petroglyphs are south facing. Early morning or late afternoon. Cloudy days.

Best Time of Year

Any time of year.

Lens(es) Needed

150-200 mm lenses. The image above was shot at 200 mm.

Birds-Eye View From Google Earth Pro

Permits

No permit is required.

Direction of the Shot

The direction of the shot is north around 0°.

Equipment Needed

The highly reflective sandstone requires a polarizer to help the pictograph stand out.

Number of Other Photographers to Expect

You will likely be the only person at this location.

Weather

Current Weather

The area around Escalante, UT, has a high desert climate with temperatures ranging up to 30° to 40° a day.

Cell Service

Cell phone coverage here is spotty - but is better the closer you get to Escalante.

Area Guides and Workshops

None

Other Resources

None