Hiking in Grapevine Canyon... Petroglyphs and Dead Ends

Looking for a possible hike, David consulted AllTrails for a trail nearby. We rose early in the morning and set out from the Big Bend of the Colorado campground and headed to Christmas Tree Pass for a hike at Grapevine Canyon on Spirit Mountain only 11 miles away.

The dirt road to Grapevine Canyon is accessed via Christmas Tree Pass Road. Christmas Tree Pass is a scenic 12-mile desert drive that connects Laughlin with the tiny town of Searchlight on US-93. It got its name from the local tradition of decorating the trees with Christmas ornaments. Though we didn’t have the chance to drive it this time, we put it on our ‘to-do’ list for next time we’re in the area.

The long meandering Christmas Tree Pass Road provided access to Grapevine Canyon.

The trail began as a sandy ¼ mile footpath that led to the petroglyphs at the entrance to the canyon.

The highlights of the canyon are the petroglyphs found near the entrance, a short, easy walk from the parking area. The glyphs are presumed to have been created between 1100-1900 A.D., most likely by the Mojave people. Like many Native American petroglyphs, the meanings are not readily apparent although some, like desert bighorn images for instance, are definitely recognizable.

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Rock art images etched in natural varnish

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Desert bighorn sheep were easily recognizable.

The site was recognized on the National Register of Historic Places in 1984 with as many as 700 petroglyphs identified. Ancient artists used local stones like quartz to etch images into the natural rock varnish that covers many of the boulders here, thus exposing lighter rock beneath and rendering rock art and a peek into ancient cultural beliefs and environment.

It was definitely a busy place at one time. Considered sacred by early native people, many of the glyphs were defaced by visitors over the years, but it is now, thankfully preserved and protected by federal law.

Petroglyphs at Grapevine Canyon are now protected by federal law.

After admiring the glyphs, we proceeded further into the canyon. We had the AllTrails map, but the trail was not well-marked and we continually headed up what appeared to be a trail only to find a dead end. Parts of the trail were quite narrow and required a squeeze through a couple tight spots.

All by themselves, seemingly growing out of the rock, were delicate Sacred Datura Lily plants in bloom. It was a surprise to see and I wondered how they survived in such an environment.

Sacred Datura Lilies

We finally stopped at a steep granite grade with no discernible path up. Another couple, Ben and Debbie from northern LA whom we’d met at the trailhead, caught up to us. Ben and David decided to work their way up to the top while Debbie and I stayed below chatting. When the guys waved from the top and suggested we join them, we conspicuously ignored them. Wimp that I am, visions of broken bones especially hips crossed my mind. David descended rather gingerly admitting that while we used to scamper up and down this type terrain in the past, it’s not quite as easy as it used to be.

Nope, ain’t gonna climb up there!

We retraced our steps down the trail (no dead ends) and made our way back for another look at the petroglyphs before heading back to the trailhead and Blanche. Though short and sweet, we enjoyed the hike, the rock art and the pleasure of walking on a sunny, late spring morning.

Join us next time for a fun trip visiting the asses of Oatman, Arizona… and there are lots of them!