Three Rivers NM

Three Rivers New Mexico Petroglyph site

Photos courtesy of Mike and Joan Sinnwell March 2013

This is an amazing site. Thousands of petroglyphs in one location. Estimates are as high as 21,000. Walk the paths and all you see on almost every rock is some sort of art. I can only guess but I am sure I saw petroglyphs of birds, humans, animals, fish, insects, and plants. This rock art was created by Jornada Mogollon people using stone tools between 900 and 1400 AD.  Some geometric designs even looked to me like plans for some of the pueblos you see in the southwest at places like Chaco Canyon.

The only discouraging site was to see where people, or should I say vandals, stole the rock art by chipping away pieces of the rocks to take home as souvenirs or to sell on the black market.  If you get a chance you should stroll through the 50 acre site and maybe you can even find the petroglyph of a boat with sails.