Tag Archives: Shoshone pictographs

Indian Wells Canyon Pictographs – “Mandala Pictographs”

This second pictograph shelter in Indian Wells Canyon is located about a mile and a third westerly of the “Cradleboard” pictograph site. It sits on a steep hillside and is surrounded by some undergrowth, making it difficult to see until you draw close.

The view out of the shelter, showing the mortars ground into the large flat boulder.

The view out of the shelter, showing the mortars ground into the large flat boulder.

The shelter itself is quite large, in excess of 20 feet across, and partially protected by a large, flattish boulder tucked under the overhang. There is enough room between the top of this boulder and the overhang ceiling to sit and enjoy an expansive overview of the valley below. Bedrock mortars atop this boulder attest to the fact that this was also considered a good idea many years ago.

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Indian Wells Canyon Pictographs – “Cradleboard” Pictographs

There are two pictographs sites in Indian Wells Canyon, this one and the “Mandala” one. In terms of elements present, this is the smaller of the two.

A quick word on Indian Wells Canyon: although the lower portions of the canyon are accessible by a rather fine dirt road, that road deteriorates quickly as you ascend the canyon. Some bumpy, overgrown sections are best NOT attempted in passenger vehicles. Additionally, the higher reaches are braided by several roads and picking the wrong one will quickly lead you into bad driving conditions.

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