A signposted rock art site in the rugged San Rafael Swell area, the Temple Mountain Pictograph Panel (also called the Temple Wash Pictographs) is one of the most accessible rock art sites in the area. It contains some of the largest prehistoric painted figures in Utah: “the size of these images suggest that the creators wanted them to be easily seen and to demonstrate that they were of exceptional significance”.
The Temple Mountain Pictograph Panel includes both Archaic (Barrier Canyon Style) and later Fremont-era pictographs, with an array of stylized human figures, warriors and abstract symbols.
The horned figure on the left is a Fremont anthropomorphic figure; the concentric circles are a common element in Fremont imagery (this art dates back from about 100 AD to 1300 AD) and can be found across Utah.
The other figures are Barrier Canyon Style; there is no agreement on the dates of this style, with estimates ranging from 6500-8000 BC to 0 AD, and from 1 AD to 1100 AD. It’s thought that the cliff-face was originally covered in Barrier Canyon Style figures, and hence the Fremont figures were placed on the far left.
Getting to the Temple Mountain Pictograph Panel
The ease of reaching this well-known site has meant it has suffered considerable damage, with extensive graffiti on the cliff face ans bullet holes in many of the figures (there is also considerable, natural exfoliation of the surface of the cliff). For a long time camping was permitted along the cliff line under the rock art site, until a fence was constructed and the area closed to camping.
The Temple Mountain Pictograph Panel parking area is reached Temple Mountain Road off Utah State Route 24. Continue about one mile (1.6km) past the turn-off to Goblin Valley State Park, and look for a small parking area on the right-hand side of the road.
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