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Leader: Tim Loftus and Jean Mabry Site Description: Special permission has been obtained to visit two sites in Saguaro National Park. A one mile stroll each way through a dry streambed provides access to the King Canyon petroglyphs. The deep patina of the walls in King Canyon provided a suitable ritual gathering place and image surface for nearly 1,370 glyphs divided into 186 panels of imagery. Habitation evidence includes bedrock mortars marking areas used for food production. Patina classes indicate that the Ancestral O’Odham periodically used this canyon for their sacred rituals from the Late Archaic (2000 BC to AD 50) to early in the 20th century. One panel, re-pecked three times, appears to have been used, re-used, and re-used in the same place, suggesting continuity from the most repatinated to the least patinated petroglyphs. The second location, Javelina Wash, is a 5-minute drive and 500-meter walk along another sandy wash. This part of the Park is ordinarily off-limits to visitors. The landscape of fine siltstone has a range of colors: red, purple, and occasionally green. Natural white and dark red circles in the colored siltstone sometimes have been utilized as part of the glyphs. Bring your D-stretch enabled phone or camera as well as water, lunch, and snacks. Difficulty: Site 1: 2-mile loop in sandy wash trail with 190 ft elevation gain. Site 2: 1.5-mile loop in sandy wash with 100 ft elevation gain Vehicle Requirement: any Driving Distance One Way: 0.75 hrs, 21 miles Max. Max. Number of Participants: 20 Fee: Bring Golden Age Pass if you want to visit Saguaro National Park Visitor Center (optional)
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