Today's adventure took us to the Crane Petroglyph Heritage Site, where we discovered that people have apparently been leaving messages on rocks long before Facebook, Instagram, or questionable TikTok dance trends. These ancient artists carved their stories into stone, and unlike my photos, their work has survived for centuries without needing cloud storage or a software update. The hike was short, the views were spectacular, and the petroglyphs were fascinating. Standing there looking at markings created hundreds of years ago really makes you wonder what they meant... a hunting story? A map? Ancient Yelp reviews? "Water nearby. Scenery: . Would carve again." read more

Crane Petroglyph Heritage Site - Hiking Near Me - Rimrock, Arizona

The Crane petroglyph site is an amazing location in central Arizona, a little bit off the beaten path, but well worth it! Approximately 3 miles from the highway, the roads are very passable, if not the monsoon season - .4 mile trail from parking lot to the site, a visit is well worth it! Make sure you stop by the visitor center to sign in and say Hi, they have wonderful air-conditioning on a hot day... read more

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Amazing little hidden gem of history. Well preserved and there is a guide that explains and teaches (to the best of todays expert knowledge) the history of this place. I was so impressed, beautiful petroglyphs. It's a little bit of a walk, about a 1/4 mile in. Once you get there you can sit in the shade and still take in the impressive petroglyphs on the stone walls. read more

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It's tucked pretty far off the main road and you lose signal but stay on the road and follow the signs. It's an easy walk from the parking lot. The site isn't huge but still amazing being that close to history. There was a docent and she did an amazing job. Highly recommend if you're nearby. Quick 2 hour stop. read more

Arizona Verde Valley V bar V  is a national heritage site.  It's a beautiful site and very accessible, It's a nice ride ride off of interstate 17,   It's a dirt road, I did not have any problem with GPS but I heard others might have so you could  write the directions out Before you go. If you're a person that has a walking disability. bad back, or you have to walk with the cane it is an achievable hike.   It's also a family friendly area but you have to keep your eye on the kids. There's a minor hill down to the visitor center but  It could be navigated with a wheelchair for person if there is a strong person helping the person in the chair get down and has the strength to help them get up the hill for the way back.  The visitor center is worth seeing and the restrooms are clean and well maintained.  It's a hard pack but sandy  trail out to the main viewing site,  With a slight incline and then flattens out, it's a enjoyable walk and you'll travel along a river area.  There are plenty of areas with shade to stop along the way so you can take your time it's about a mile out. When  You get to the site there's several steps that you'd have to go up to get really close.  Again having someone strong that can help push you up or pull you up the steps for a closer look would help.  If you stay in the flat area on the bottom you'll be about 30' from the cartridge works if you can get up the stairs if you get about 10' away. The petroglyph site is a Cultural markings  Legacy from the Southern Sinagua of the Beaver Creek Community. Both the Verde Valley Archaeological Society and the Friends of the Forest provide interpretive tours and on-site management.  Two full-time volunteers live on-site. Typically, one works the visitor center, while another provides interpretation for visitors at the petroglyphs.  There are some part time locals who volunteer as well. The petroglyphs were created by Southern Sinagua Indigenous residents between about 1150 and 1400 AD. The site was known to early American settlers, and became part of the historic V Bar V ranch around 1907.  About 20% of the petroglyphs are zoomorphs, including snakes, turtles, coyotes, deer and antelope.The next most common types are anthropomorphs and geometric figures, such as spirals and grids. The feeling is that there's a lot of Hopi influence and the Hopi believe that the inhabitants who left were part of the predicted Hopi migration to the homeland northern mesas  One of the panels at V Bar V Heritage Site is referred to as the "Solar Panel" that exhibits unique shadow patterns created by three boulders wedged into the rock face.  There's been plenty of research done on this and one entire book written.  So as well worth a visit. read more

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Amazing what the people can show you about our native friends and their lives! A must see if you in the Sedona area exit! Also great campgrounds surrounding them! read more

This place is super neat. There is a huge collection of petroglyphs on the stones and the guide was wonderful. The think this was all free (well parking pass for like $5) is crazy. It's a nice but short walk from the parking lot area to wall with the petroglyphs. I'd say stop by the ranger station to find out if someone is out there first. If not, be sure to read the displays on the walls. They are not fancy but the will fill in the info you need if there isn't a tour guide on site. read more

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V-Bar-V is a former ranch that is now a National Parks Heritage site. The V-Bar-V has an excellent display of petroglyphs. The petroglyphs are all concentrated in one area that is an easy 1/2 mile walk from the parking lot. There is a docent at the site of the petroglyphs who gives a presentation on the drawings and then attempts to answer any and all questions. This is a relatively small site with a small visitors center but it does offer clean restrooms with flush toilets. The volunteers working at the site were very personable and quite helpful. I was impressed with their knowledge of the petroglyphs. Allow about an hour. read more

Great tour! Short walk to a really interesting historical site/petroglyphs. Well worth going off the beaten path! Highly recommend! read more

Crane Petroglyph Heritage Site - Petroglyphs - Hiking Near Me - Rimrock, Arizona

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The petroglyphs at the ruins of V-Bar-V Ranch are located off the exit where Interstate 17 meets Route 179 toward Sedona. Instead of going west on 179, go east on the dirt road for a few miles until it ends at the parking lot. There is a small visitor's center and the chimney ruins of the former V-Bar-V ranch house that greet you before the short walk to the petroglyphs. You'll be in for a treat because these petroglyphs, a legacy of the Sinagua people circa AD 1150-1400, have always been protected. When this was private land, the petroglyphs were surrounded by barbed wire to keep the grazing cows from getting too close. Years later, a strong fence was installed to keep the grazing vandals away. The richness of these images is powerful and the mossy green lichen growing in the grooves of some of the images makes them even more striking. Animals, geometric patterns, human forms, abstract images: there is so much to see that I stood for over an hour just breathing it all in. A bonus to my visit was the good fortune of seeing rays of orange afternoon sun shine on the two large rocks lodged in the vertical crevice. The resulting shafts of shade demonstrated this panel's use as a solar calendar. The petroglyphs at V-Bar-V are a little gem that won't announce their presence as you drive on the interstate. No sign will say 'Exit Here' so you'll have to accept the responsibility and find your way to this reward. read more

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If you are interested in Native American cultures and want to get a better appreciation of the intelligence of the Sinagua people who occupied this valley from time immemorial, please give this place a visit. More than just the biggest collection of petroglyphs in the Sedona area, this was a message board and solar calendar created with stone, from stone. It will amaze you. read more

Lots of interesting ancient things to see. Easy hike. It's HOT in summer, so go EARLY. If docents are there, take advantage of their insight! Much more interesting that way. A large, very busy panel of petroglyphs from the "sinagua" (Spanish for without (sin) water (Agua)) people read more

Crane Petroglyph Heritage Site - Petroglyph of a critter. Probably a deer. - Hiking Near Me - Rimrock, Arizona

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This place is amazing. Do stop here when you are in The Verde Valley area close to Sedona. From the parking lot, it is just a short 10 mins walk to the wall in the ranch where lots of petroglyphs were found left by the Sinagua people in the 1100s. It is a heck of a treat to stare and observe these carved images, but the other treat is having those volunteer guides who were so informational. Their passion for history is contagious! When we were there, the guide walked us through some of the interpretations behind the images. He also pointed out some of the traces of vandalism by the public before this site was protected. Then he proceeded to talk about Ken, who was an astronomy avid who received a grant from the state and uncovered a solar system calendar behind the images used by the pre historic population. It was very intriguing. He shared both viewpoints from the Western ideas and the Hopis (There were never traces of what happened to the Sinagua, so because of the similarity between the two communities, historians believe that some of the people were integrated). I would have loved to spend a few extra hours at this place to pick the guide's brain but sadly we were on limited time so we had to move on to other historical sites. read more

Crane Petroglyph Heritage Site - Worth the stop in Sedona! - Hiking Near Me - Rimrock, Arizona

We had no idea what we were in for when we got to the Visitor Center. This site had been a working cattle ranch for so long but the rocks had been preserved. The fireplace & chimney still stand as a testament to a long gone era. You'll hike down a pretty smooth path about 10-15 minutes to a fenced enclosure and then you see it . . .fascinating! !! What history! This was the largest petroglyhs known to exist in Arizona. The rangers had some pretty interesting things to say and pointed out some pretty cool things. We had hit this site just right, in between 2 schools visiting so we had a chance to take our time and really get close and look at them. Very cool!!! read more

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If you are planning a trip to Sedona or Camp Verde, you must stop by this site! Montezuma castle first, Montezuma well, then V-Bar-V. It is a very interesting site about the life and records of how the ancient people lived. Doug, our guide was extremely helpful and explain the site with great detail. He used a board to explain what the pictures signify and how the ancient Sinagua people used the wall as a calendar. Definitely a must visit. read more

Crane Petroglyph Heritage Site - Hiking Near Me - Rimrock, Arizona

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Nice short hike down a well maintained path to a very nice display of petroglyphs. The speaker was pleasant & knowledgeable. It was a shame to see that someone had to deface it with idiotic graffiti. read more

Great place to explore over 1,000 petroglyphs!Solar calendar, birthing images animals and much more! Interpretation were very good and informative. A must see site! read more

We followed yelp reviewer Paul L.'s directions to get here after googlemaps turned us in the wrong direction. If you're planning to visit this site, definitely read his directions and don't bother plugging any directions into your phone. I have seen differing feedback about the state of the roads getting here-- for the most part this road was paved, with a very small stretch of dirt road at the end. It was absolutely possible to get here safely in a VW Golf, so no worries there. We obtained a Red Rocks pass in advance; you will need one to park here. Stop by the visitor's center to sign in before visiting the site. The walk to the site was maybe 1/4 mile at most, on flat dirt paths with minimal shade. There are plaques about local wildlife along the path, which added to the experience. At the end of the path we found the petroglyph site, which is fenced off. You can go inside the fence to see the images up close, it seems like it is probably locked at night to discourage vandalism. I wasn't sure what to expect from this site, but I was pleasantly surprised to see that the petroglyphs, although hundreds of years old, were in great shape despite being exposed to the elements for so long. A docent at the site told us all about the people who created them, their spiritual beliefs, their marriage practices, etc. It was great to have the opportunity to ask questions of someone so well-versed in the petroglyphs' history and meaning. If you are interested in archaeology, you really can't miss this site. read more

Have visited a dozen or more petroglyph sites in the Southwest. We like this site the most. Interesting in style and setting. Well preserved and managed. They close early, around 3pm, so plan accordingly. We arrived at closing time and were very grateful that one of the volunteers on site stayed a little overtime to give us an interpretive tour. Informative and patient as a guide, she was also a nice person to talk to. The breakfast place in Cottonwood that she recommended was a gem. She will be volunteering at a park in Julian, northeast of San Diego, this coming winter. Montezuma Well can be reached from this site on an unpaved road. The view was fantastic. read more

Really cool place to visit as part of your Sedona experience. Short 15 minute walk to get from the parking lot to the petroglyphs and there is a guy there telling you about the story behind the markings read more

Crane Petroglyph Heritage Site - Hiking Near Me - Rimrock, Arizona

If you like petroglyphs you should come here. It is a quick walk for a lot of petroglyphs ~3/4 mi walk round trip although they say 2/3. The start of the 1/3 to the petroglyphs started after a bit of walking which is why I say it's a bit more. If you go in the main part of the day there is a volunteer who will explain what some of the markings mean. Also, in the visitor center you can buy a red rocks pass to use here and in the area so you don't have to get one from a vending machine. If you like to check out gift shops they have a little gift shop and best of all, a bathroom with running water. If you are in the area and like this type of place stop in. read more

About a .5-mile walk each way from the Visitor/Ranger station...the petroglyphs are pretty cool. The ranger/interpreter was informative, nice, and patient with peoples' questions. Very nice little side-trip on our way from Sedona to Flag; read more

We happened to visit the first time on the summer solstice when the light hits the petroglyphs in a way that highlights their use as a calendar for the ancients. The second time we went there were a bunch of displays about various historic and cultural historical topics...very interesting. We saw something new each visit and it well worth the time. read more

This is a hidden gem! We walked the short distance from the parking lot to the site. There was a retired gentleman, that used to be a school teacher. We could tell he got excited about his job and telling everyone about this historical site. What a site to see, and even more enjoyable because of this gentleman and how much he knew and explained. Loved this! :) read more

An unsung wonder of petroglyphs excellence. The people who attend the site really love it too, and help you understand the significance of placement, solar timing, and symbols. There is great dignity onsite, thanks to the way the park volunteers and rangers maintain high level of awe and you are able to observe and study at close range. The walk to the cliff side is beautiful and when you get there, the rich quality and quantity of carvings leave you speechless for quite a while - I am surprised you don't hear about this treasure more... but kind of glad it's peaceful there, too. Walk is easy and flat. Gets warm, bring water !! Enjoy a step back in time and use your imagination along with the knowledge shared. read more

A definite must see! It's about a mile hike on flat ground round trip. You will need a Red Rock pass or equivalent which you can buy there. It's a small site but the petroglyphs are remarkable. A highlight of our trip! read more

This was an excellent stop on our tour of the area. There was a guide there and he gave us a great overview of everything we were looking at. I've been to a handful of petroglyph sites around California, Utah, and Arizona. This is the most interesting one I've seen so far. read more

If you go to Montezuma's Castle/Montezuma's Well this is a fantastic extra place to visit. The walk is short and easy. However, the only reason we knew about this place and how to get here is because a volunteer guide at Montezuma's Castle told us about it. We would never have found it without him. It is not well known even to Arizonans and somewhat difficult to find. The road is not in the best shape and not well marked. But if you can get directions, it's well worth a visit. read more

It was hard to find using the GPS but we were able to locate it after calling the visitors center. It's a fantastic experience that I highly recommend to anyone interested in petroglyphs or Native American culture. Highly recommend! read more