Three Rivers Petroglyph Site

The Three Rivers Petroglyph Site is one of the few locations in the Southwest set aside solely because of its rock art. It is also one of the few sites giving visitors such direct access to petroglyphs. The number and concentration of petroglyphs here make it one of the largest and most interesting petroglyphs sites in the Southwest. More than 21,000 glyphs of birds, humans, animals, fish, insects and plants, as well as numerous geometric and abstract designs are scattered over 50 acres of New Mexico's northern Chihuahuan Desert. The petroglyphs at Three Rivers, dating back to between about 900 and 1400 AD, were created by Jornada Mogollon people who used stone tools to remove the dark patina on the exterior of the rock. A small pueblo ruin is nearby and Sierra Blanca towers above to the east.

This is the summary I found about Three Rivers Petroglyph Site from their website. I really liked this place. It was a short drive from White Sands, NM and due to the snow in the mountains it was our only option for a place to visit before settling in for the night in Alamogordo, NM. The most used petroglyph at this site is seen below. What makes it unusual is that it's a sign that is not really seen at any other petroglyph site in the vicinity. Literally this pattern was found on almost every rock.

Andy and I hiked around for quite awhile over and around the rock formations. I even found my lifer Rock Wren on the way back to the parking lot.

Below is a sampling of some of our favorite bird petroglyphs. This isn't nearly all of them but definitely a representation of what Three Rivers has to offer in the way of bird art.

In addition to bird petroglyphs we also enjoyed the little man below. Andy is doing a mimic of him above the rock.

We ended our night at a little motel. The place was cheap and a little on the shoddy side but it had this great little restuarant nearby. We had cheap beers and loads of food. And then we called it an early night with a few cans of beer as a night cap back in our room.