Western Riverside County has a handful of unique Native American rock art maze drawings. The most well-known of them is the Hemet Maze. It is a petroglyph of complex design carved directly into granite. There are, however, other lesser-known rock art mazes, and one of them is the Moreno Maze pictograph. The meaning behind these mazes is vigorously debated among rock art researchers, but it remains a mystery.
The mazes in this region are grouped in the Rancho Bernardo style (also called the Riverside Maze Petroglyph style). This style is often associated with the Kumeyaay and Luiseno Native American peoples, but this particular maze is located on the boundary of the Luiseno and Cahuilla territories. It is not known for sure who made them or why. Interestingly, the mazes often appear on the eastern faces of boulders to greet the morning sun.
The Moreno maze, while in plain sight, is out of the way and often overlooked. Its faded designs are exposed to the elements, and it will only be a matter of time before it is gone completely.
Moreno Maze Pictograph
No directions to this site. If you find this place, please treat it with great care. Do not touch it. Take only photos and leave only footprints.
