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| About 200 petroglyphs have been etched onto the Signal Hill Rock at Saguaro National Park in Arizona. |
more than 200 ancient petroglyphs on the
Signal Hill Trail in Saguaro National Park.
The 0.3-mile round trip
The 0.3-mile round trip
is less a hike than a
stroll into prehistory. Petroglyphs of spirals, circles and a variety of other geometric shapes were created by Native American groups that resided in the desert between 500-1100 A.D. The trail sits in the park’s Tucson Mountain District.
To reach the trailhead, from Interstate 10 in Tucson, exit west onto West Ina Road. Turn left/south onto Wade Road, which when it curves west naturally becomes West Picture Rock Road. You’ll soon enter the park’s western portion. Go left/south onto Golden Gate Road, which is a gravel road. Turn right/northwest onto Signal Hills Road, which also is gravel. The road ends in a turnaround which you can park.
Signal Hills Trail leaves from the first parking lot, heading roughly northeast. The narrow dirt path runs besides cacti and other desert fauna. Stone slabs serve as steps, as the trail ascends.
Along the way, two connector trails lead back to the parking lot and picnic area. These also can be walked to add about 0.1 miles to the hike.
Cholla, ocotillo and opuntia dominate the landscape. Saguaros also are aplenty here.
Next, the route junctions the Manville Trail from the left. Continue straight-right/north.
Signal Hill petroglyphs
You’ll gain elevation as passing palo verde trees into a collection of large boulders sticking out from the ground. Petroglyphs can be found on many of the rocks now that you’ve reached Signal Hill’s base.
The boulders are granodiorite, a rock similar to granite. The dark gray and brown stones here are a perfect background for the ancient images to stand out against.
Most of the designs are animals, geometric shapes (especially spirals), human-like figures, and plants. While identifying what the designs are is easy enough, their purpose remains a mystery. Did they serve a spiritual purpose? Were they illustrations from a story? Possibly markers for hunts and migrations? Art to be enjoyed for their beauty? Something else?
As petroglyphs, the images were etched into the rock (pictographs are painted images). Weathering has faded some of the designs, but others remain crisp and legible, as if made yesterday.
Don’t leave the path, however, to get a closer look at them. Staying on the path not only preserves the petroglyphs but may help preserve you too, as rattlesnakes sometimes like to curl in the crevices between the boulders to remain cool.
Hohokam culture
An ancient farming people called the Hohokam made the petroglyphs. The Hohokam lived in the river valleys of southern Arizona, northern Sonora, and western New Mexico. They constructed sophisticated irrigation systems that allowed them to occupy many of their villages for up to 1500 years.
The trail heads to then up the backside of Signal Hill. The Cactus Wren Trail junctions the route from the right, heading north.
Signal Hill rises about 50 feet above the plain, offering great views of the surrounding Avra Valley. On a clear day, you can see up to 20 miles.
After taking in the sites, retrace your steps back to the parking lot. There, you can enjoy a picnic at any one of several shaded tables, called ramadas.
There’s no shade on the trail, though, so be sure to don sunscreen, sunglasses and sunhat. Also, be forewarned that some maps label the walk to the petroglyphs as the Cactus Wren Trail.
To reach the trailhead, from Interstate 10 in Tucson, exit west onto West Ina Road. Turn left/south onto Wade Road, which when it curves west naturally becomes West Picture Rock Road. You’ll soon enter the park’s western portion. Go left/south onto Golden Gate Road, which is a gravel road. Turn right/northwest onto Signal Hills Road, which also is gravel. The road ends in a turnaround which you can park.
Signal Hills Trail leaves from the first parking lot, heading roughly northeast. The narrow dirt path runs besides cacti and other desert fauna. Stone slabs serve as steps, as the trail ascends.
Along the way, two connector trails lead back to the parking lot and picnic area. These also can be walked to add about 0.1 miles to the hike.
Cholla, ocotillo and opuntia dominate the landscape. Saguaros also are aplenty here.
Next, the route junctions the Manville Trail from the left. Continue straight-right/north.
Signal Hill petroglyphs
You’ll gain elevation as passing palo verde trees into a collection of large boulders sticking out from the ground. Petroglyphs can be found on many of the rocks now that you’ve reached Signal Hill’s base.
The boulders are granodiorite, a rock similar to granite. The dark gray and brown stones here are a perfect background for the ancient images to stand out against.
Most of the designs are animals, geometric shapes (especially spirals), human-like figures, and plants. While identifying what the designs are is easy enough, their purpose remains a mystery. Did they serve a spiritual purpose? Were they illustrations from a story? Possibly markers for hunts and migrations? Art to be enjoyed for their beauty? Something else?
As petroglyphs, the images were etched into the rock (pictographs are painted images). Weathering has faded some of the designs, but others remain crisp and legible, as if made yesterday.
Don’t leave the path, however, to get a closer look at them. Staying on the path not only preserves the petroglyphs but may help preserve you too, as rattlesnakes sometimes like to curl in the crevices between the boulders to remain cool.
Hohokam culture
An ancient farming people called the Hohokam made the petroglyphs. The Hohokam lived in the river valleys of southern Arizona, northern Sonora, and western New Mexico. They constructed sophisticated irrigation systems that allowed them to occupy many of their villages for up to 1500 years.
The trail heads to then up the backside of Signal Hill. The Cactus Wren Trail junctions the route from the right, heading north.
Signal Hill rises about 50 feet above the plain, offering great views of the surrounding Avra Valley. On a clear day, you can see up to 20 miles.
After taking in the sites, retrace your steps back to the parking lot. There, you can enjoy a picnic at any one of several shaded tables, called ramadas.
There’s no shade on the trail, though, so be sure to don sunscreen, sunglasses and sunhat. Also, be forewarned that some maps label the walk to the petroglyphs as the Cactus Wren Trail.
TRAIL MAP
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