Temple Mountain Pictographs

The Temple Mountain Pictograph site has the remains of some of the largest ancient figures you will see in the Green River area and was once covered with much more artwork

This was a very significant rock art panel at one time, the Temple Mountain pictographs panel was once about 60 feet long, but it still contains some of the largest painted figures in Utah.

The remains of the damaged large figures are still over 6 feet tall and it is estimated they were originally over 8 feet tall. What has been lost can only be imagined at this time, were there even more large, remarkable figures in the damaged areas, were there even larger figures than these?

The large figure has a short arm holding a snake, similar to many Barrier Canyon Style figures, the ones at the Head of Sinbad and at Horseshoe Canyon immediately come to mind.

To the left, look at the two animals one with a horizontal and one with a vertical stripe through it.

The various artists made a bad choice in choosing this part of the cliff face, water, winter freeze-thaw, and salt crystal growth all contributed to the spawling of the rock face, a natural destruction of the panel.

The horned figure on the far left with the bullet hole damage is a Fremont anthropomorphic figure, the other figures on the right are Barrier Canyon Style and much older. This indicates the panel had a long history of being decorated over a long time period.

So much of the original work has ben destoyed by water

Vandalized pictograph with bullet holes — Fremont anthropomorphic figure

The Barrier Canyon Style figures on the right came first, and the Fremont figures on the left came later, and the artists had to use the space that was still available.

Why did the artists start on the right when they had the first choice? Was it because it was easier to access to work, or was it a better position for the display of their work? Were their trees blocking the view of the cliff face to the left at one time? The amount of time we are dealing with when it comes to these figures means you should realize that any trees you see here today were not here at the time of the creation of the figures and any trees that were there at the time of creation would not be here today.

What was the significance of the size of the figures? Did size represent importance in relation to the other figures? Did they want these figures to be seen from a distance? Unfortunately, there is just so much we don’t know and don’t understand about the artwork of these ancient people.

Getting there

1.5 hours from Moab, west of the town of Green River: Follow I-70 west for 11 miles to Exit #149 and take Highway 24 south 24 miles to mile maker 136 and the signed turn-off to Goblin Valley State Park (Temple Mt Rd) located on the west side of the road, continue for 6.2 miles.

The Temple Mountain pictograph are back along the cliff face behind the fence

Note

Binoculars – to get a good close-up of the artwork

Parking ( 38.660794, -110.669731 )

A dirt parking area

Explore Nearby...

Hikes...

Furniture Draw Canyon

A hike through a narrow canyon, short and easy, great for families with small kids

Rochester Rock Art Panel

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Horseshoe Canyon – Hike

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Little Wild Horse Slot Canyon – Hike

A beautiful slot canyon with two long, extremely narrow passages with walls up to 400 feet high.

Wild Horse Window & Wild Horse Canyon rock art

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Black Dragon Pictographs, Petroglyph Canyon & Spirit Arch

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Goblin Valley State Park

The park contains thousands of mushroom-shaped (goblins). You can walk amongst the hoo-doos, there are hiking trails and a cave on the back side of the valley called the Goblin’s Lair

Hiking Beautiful Crack Canyon

A slot canyon with manageable drops, three sections of narrows, and walls that look like Swiss Cheese

Scenic Drives...

Nine Mile Canyon – Scenic Drive

A forty-mile long canyon drive with the highest concentration of rock art in the world, with an estimated 10,000 individual artworks from Archaic, Fremont, and Ute Indians

Buckhorn Wash

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Wedge Overlook

Called “Utah’s Little Grand Canyon”. There are multiple overlooks 1000 feet above the San Rafael River and canyons below you, each one gives you a different vista.