The Greenwater Petroglyphs comprise two distinct sites scattered along Greenwater Canyon in Death Valley. Etched into the Pleistocene-era Funeral formation basalt and volcanics, these ancient markings represent a significant Great Basin Abstract rock art collection in the California desert region. One thing that makes this site particularly remarkable is the extraordinary age of some glyphs – so heavily repatinated that they appear as negative images darker than the surrounding rock surface.
The petroglyphs of Greenwater Canyon were created by ancestral Native American peoples whose presence in this region dates back at least 8,000 years. The canyon contains excellent examples of both carved petroglyphs and painted pictographs, with surface sites containing diagnostic artifacts from the early Holocene. (Also see Greenwater Canyon Pictographs.) The Park Service closed the canyon road to vehicles in 2006 to protect these fragile rock art sites.
As with all prehistoric sites, proper Rock Art Etiquette is essential. Take only photographs, leave no trace.
