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With Sedona’s rich Native American history, the Sedona petroglyphs and pictographs show us signs of life way before our time. While we may never know the exact meaning of this ancient wall art, they’re still quite impressive to see.
Each time we found pictographs or petroglyphs in Sedona, I was taken aback just thinking of how old this art is. It’s fascinating to think of the people who sat there and painted or carved into these rock walls nearly 1,000 years before I’m standing in front of them.
Most of the Sedona petroglyphs and pictographs are found inside red rock outcroppings, protecting the paintings and carvings from the harsh weather over the years.
What Is A Petroglyph?
Before we dive into the different places to see the rock art in Sedona, let’s get the lingo down.
Petroglyphs are etched or carved into the rock. When looking at a petroglyph, you can see that the art is actually indented into the rock.
While petroglyphs are carved into the rocks, pictographs are painted on them.
What Is A Pictograph?
Unlike a petroglyph, pictographs are painted on top of the rocks. In Sedona, we found there were three main colors for the paint:
- Red paint (presumably from the dirt)
- Black paint (thought to be from charcoal)
- White paint (which is believed to be part of a trade with other tribes)
Each of the pictograph locations in Sedona are inside caves or under large rock overhangs. This protects the paintings from the heavy rain during monsoon season in Sedona.
Doing Your Part!
It’s important to note, while it’s tempting to touch the wall art in Sedona, do not do so.
The oils from our hands can and will ruin both the paintings of the pictographs and the carvings of the petroglyphs in Sedona.
To keep these ancient wall art locations available for visitors to see for years to come, refrain from touching the rocks at these sites!
And remember, these sites could be very spiritual places for the Sinagua and other Native Americans. When visiting them, stay on obvious trails and be respectful at the sites.
5 Places To Find Sedona Petroglyphs and Pictographs
Crane Petroglyph Heritage Site
- Location | 34.661091, -111.718594
- Parking | $5 | 34.665379, -111.716031
- Trail Guide | Crane Petroglyph Heritage Site Interesting Facts, Opening Times + More
Crane Petroglyph Heritage Site, formally known at V Bar V Heritage Site, is located just ten miles south of Sedona. And let me tell you, it’s worth the drive down there!
Crane Petroglyph is home to the largest collection of petroglyphs in the entire Verde Valley. There are over 1,000 rock carvings on a single wall!
We didn’t know what to expect when visiting this heritage site, but found the ranger at the site to be super helpful in understanding the different carvings and what they potentially mean!
Honanki Heritage Site
- Location | 34.939391, -111.933265
- Parking | $5 | 34.936783, -111.934413
- Honanki Guide | Be Sure To Read This Guide To Honanki Heritage Site Before Deciding To Go
Honanki Heritage Site was the first place in Sedona we saw rock art. And it was totally unexpected which was a really neat surprise!
Honanki is one of the easy hikes in Sedona that leads to pictographs and ancient Sedona ruins. However, while the trail is easy, the road out to Honanki is for those only with high clearance.. and even them, some places can be impassible certain times of the year.
We ended up riding our bikes from Nolan Campground to Honanki Heritage Site, and if you have bikes, that’s a great way to get here. Otherwise, we suggest renting an off-road vehicle for the day and making a trip to Honanki a fun off-roading day!
Palatki Heritage Site
- Location | 34.915975, -111.902216
- Parking | $5 | 34.914668, -111.902496
- Palatki Heritage Site Guide | Booking Tickets + Need To Know Info For Palatki Ruins
While Crane Petroglyphs is home to Sedona’s largest collection of petroglyphs, Palatki Heritage Site holds the largest collection of pictographs! There are some Sedona petroglyphs here as well, but the pictographs for sure steal the show.
Palatki Heritage Site is found down a rough road, that’s fully manageable in a 2WD car, but be prepared to go super slow — the views out to Palatki are worth going slow for anyways!
To visit Palatki Heritage Site, you must reserve a tour slot. These tour slots only cost $1, and are there to limit the amount of visitors at Palatki, as the trails and viewing areas are quite small!
We were able to book our tour slot on Christmas Eve the day before. However, I’d suggest trying to book a little further in advance; they’re on a 120 day rolling window. Early morning is said to be best for viewing the cliff dwellings and rock art at Palatki Heritage Site.
Wall of the Ancient Rock Art
- Location | 34.941757, -111.918899
- Parking | Free at Loy Canyon Trailhead | 34.932065, -111.925126
Found right in between Palatki and Honanki heritage sites, the Wall of the Ancient Rock Art is free to visit and just as impressive to see. It just takes a little bit more effort to reach.
Starting at Loy Canyon Trailhead, again, high clearance is recommended to get here; you follow the Loy Canyon Trail for about .6 miles, until you reach the following coordinates, 34.939789, -111.924547.
There’s a wash at those coordinates, just past the end of the fenced-in ranch. Hike up the wash, for just over .25 miles. You’ll soon see the white forest service signs saying it’s illegal to take things from the archeological site — that’s when you know you’re in the right area.
You’ll see the famed Ancient Wall of Rock Art at, 34.941757, -111.918899, about a mile into the hike.
Warrior’s Wall Ruins
- Location | 34.946721, -111.927306
- Parking | Free at Loy Canyon Trailhead | 34.932065, -111.925126
Hiking to Warrior’s Wall ruins is only for experienced hikers not afraid of cliffs. This trail actually continues up the Loy Canyon Trail, the main trail for the Ancient Wall of Rock Art above.
It’s leads to not only only some pictographs, but also one of the best in tact cliff dwellings we saw in all of Sedona.
With that said, the hike is all trail finding and bush-wacking, and there’s one part of the trail that nearly left me in tears as I was afraid I was going to fall to my death.
From Loy Canyon Trailhead, hike up the canyon trail until the following coordinates, 34.944761, -111.924436. Here you’ll go left, and follow a faint social trail, mixed with creating your own trail too.
There’s a small section of red slick rock, and if you look up into the canyon walls, you’ll be able to see the cliff dwelling. Head up towards it, do a bit of rock climbing, and soon you’ll reach the pictograph and ruins!
Using This Sedona Guide
Visiting these different historic sites in Sedona is an awe-inspiring experience. Try putting yourself in the shoes of those who creating the rock art before you. Look around at the canyon walls and think of the luxuries life grants us compared to what it would be like to live in Sedona nearly 1,000 years ago.
Pinning Locations
As with all our Sedona travel guides, we suggest you download the free app, Maps.me, then download the Sedona section.
From there, we recommend pinning the different places you want to see, and for the two pictograph locations in Loy Canyon, the exact coordinates of the turn off from the main trail.
You can pin the locations via the coordinates given, and then even make notes on each location. Check out an example of how we use Maps.me here.
Internet Safety
When traveling or anytime you’re using a public wifi, it’s strongly suggested you use a VPN. We use Nord VPN to keep us safe online, protecting things like our passwords and internet usage from hackers while using public wifi.
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Where To Stay in Sedona
The beauty of Sedona is found outdoors. And with incredible free camping in Sedona, we recommend those who visit Sedona to camp to save money!
If you don’t have a tent and want to try out what it’s like to stay in an RV, check out these RV rentals from Phoenix!
Alternatively, check out these epic VRBO rentals in Sedona. The views from these houses are amazing!
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