Three Rivers Petroglyph Site
More than twenty thousand petroglyphs cover a mile-long basalt ridge above the Tularosa Basin, creating an exceptionally dense but exposed archaeological walk.
Artwork inspired by Narciso Abeyta
Jornada Mogollon people created most of the site’s extraordinary concentration of petroglyphs between about AD 900 and 1400. Animals, geometric forms, faces, tracks, and other figures appear across individual boulders, but density does not make the imagery a code available for casual translation. Meanings may be contextual, layered, or culturally restricted.
The main trail climbs roughly a mile along the ridge and offers little shade. Move slowly, scan both sides of rocks, and stay on the established route to avoid disturbing archaeological deposits and desert plants. A nearby village site adds domestic context but can be easy to miss if you focus only on carved boulders.
- Estimated images
- More than 21,000
- Core trail
- About two miles round trip
- Allow
- 2–3 hours
Quick guide
- Primary evidence
- Dense basalt petroglyphs ↔ Tularosa Basin views
- Do not omit
- Jornada Mogollon village site
Build an evidence-led visit to Three Rivers Petroglyph Site
- Begin
- Take water and scan the lower ridge before climbing.
- Change angle
- Let side light reveal shallow pecking.
- Do not alter
- Never touch, chalk, trace, or wet petroglyphs.
- Add context
- Visit the nearby village site when open.
Good to know
If time contracts at Three Rivers Petroglyph Site, keep the comparison between “Dense basalt petroglyphs” and “Tularosa Basin views” and remove peripheral stops from the route.
Notice these
- Dense basalt petroglyphs
- Tularosa Basin views
- Jornada Mogollon village site