“Pleasant Valley” Pictographs

While hiking in the backcountry of Joshua Tree over the winter, the good folks over at Peregriff and I came across this small pictograph site. There isn’t much to the site, just a simple rock shelter with a handful of red pictographs on the ceiling but it is an intriguing find. As far as I know, it was unknown to the Park Service at the time of discovery. It is in a remote and difficult to reach spot.

The symbols and designs appear celestial in nature and remind me of the “Sky Cross” Pictograph site not too far away.

"Pleasant Valley" Pictographs

14 photos

The hidden entrance to the rock shelter.

Going inside the small shelter.

One red concentric circle pictograph on the ceiling.

Closer look at the circles.

Some very faint red rake-like structures.

Lines.

Lines on the ceiling. Perhaps these are celestial?

A better look at them.

The shelter actually is a tunnel. Note the track pictographs on the upper right.

Another view of the tunnel.

It is hard to get good photographs in here.

A closer look at the track marks.

There are a few other minor pictographs too. They are so faded, they are hard to make out.

A few more lines near the entrance.

Last Updated on August 3, 2020 by Guy Starbuck