Roadside Attraction
Courthouse Wash Panel
Moab
Overview
I've driven by the Cottonwood Wash panel dozens and dozens of times, never taking the time to stop and make the short hike to visit the panel. One stormy day I finally decided to stop and was very surprised.
The main panel, a pictograph panel, is exquisite. It was vandalized in the 1980's, but has been restored and is unique, likely the best panel I have seen around Moab. It reminded me of a very mini Great Gallery. Fantastic. Also, there are several less impressive, but still good petroglyph panels on each side of the main panel. This is a short hike that is well worth stopping for if you are passing through Moab.
Getting There
The best trailhead is to leave downtown Moab heading north toward I-70 on highway 191. Just after crossing the Colorado river, you cross a bridge over Cottonwood Wash, then a large trailhead/parking area is on the right at milepost 129. This is the trailhead, just a few minutes from downtown Moab.
Route Description
Rock art and historic sites are fragile, non-renewable cultural resources that, once damaged, can never be replaced. To ensure they are protected, please:
- Avoid Touching the Petroglyphs: Look and observe, BUT DO NOT TOUCH!
- Stay on the Trails: Stay on the most used trails when visiting sites, and don't create new trails or trample vegetation.
- Photography and Sketching is Allowed: Do not introduce any foreign substance to enhance the carved and pecked images for photographic or drawing purposes. Altering, defacing, or damaging the petroglyphs is against the law -- even if the damage is unintentional.
- Pets: Keep pets on a leash and clean up after them.
- Artifacts: If you happen to come across sherds (broken pottery) or lithics (flakes of stone tools), leave them where you see them. Once they are moved or removed, a piece of the past is forever lost.
Follow the biking path back toward Moab. Cross the bridge (Courthouse Wash), and then look for a cairned trail that goes off to the left and up the hill.
Follow it to the base of the cliff where an informational sign has information about the panel. In addition to the pictograph panel, there are a couple of interesting petroglyphs to the right (toward Moab), as well as one smaller one to the left.
Maps
12S 622992E 4274102N
38°36'25"N 109°35'15"W
12S 623610E 4274160N
38°36'26"N 109°34'49"W