Squaw Point

An off-road experience through high desert views, ancient art, and hidden stories on stone. 

This full-day tour takes you deep into the high country eastward towards the canyon of the ancients, where the views stretch for miles and the cliffs and boulders are filled with petroglyphs, ruins, and clues from the past. 

The Squaw Point trail is a quieter, less-traveled route, but it’s packed with some of the most detailed rock art panels in the region. If you love archaeology, wide-open spaces, and exploring places most people will never see, this one’s worth your time. 

We’ll begin the day in Blanding and head out toward amazing pinyon and juniper country. Our first stop is the Crow’s Nest, a high point with sweeping views in every direction—a perfect way to get your bearings and appreciate just how much country is out here. From there, we’ll make our way to Parrot Panel, a vibrant and rare petroglyph panel where the name says it all. It’s not often you see birds like this pecked into stone, and it’s one of many examples of the skill and creativity of the region’s early inhabitants. 

Next up is a processional panel, similar to one of the most iconic rock art panels in the Southwest. This one’s worth spending time with. The figures—lined up in what looks like a ceremonial procession—are detailed, deliberate, and deeply meaningful. We’ll share what archaeologists believe it represents, and also give you space to take it in for yourself. 

From there, the trail leads us through a mix of geologic and cultural landmarks. We'll visit an area known for Terrassic Petrified Wood, where ancient tree trunks have turned to stone, and the Large Character Panel, which features some of the most dramatic and expressive petroglyphs in the region. These figures are larger-than-life—literally—and their meaning is still debated to this day. 

We’ll also stop at the Spanish Towers, striking natural rock formations that stand like sentinels along the trail. Then it’s on to the Cowboy Panel, a site that mixes Native and historic-era markings—showing just how layered the stories are in this region. We’ll visit an old Trapper Camp, a historic site that gives a glimpse into the more recent past, and along the way, we’ll see numerous surface dwellings—collapsed walls and foundations that were once home to families who lived off this land. 

Finally, we’ll wrap up with a visit to the Boulder Petroglyphs, a collection of carvings scattered across large rocks that feel both ancient and immediate. By the end of the day, you'll have ridden across mesas, walked among ruins, stood in front of panels that have lasted a thousand years, and seen just how much history is hidden in plain sight out here.