Sites & Insights | Nine Mile Canyon

Join the Prehistoric Museum on a visit to Nine Mile Canyon, one of the preeminent rock art regions in the American West. Meet at the museum at 11:00 am for a brief introduction to the Fremont culture and a look at our current Nine Mile Exhibit. Then we’ll drive through the Book Cliffs, then drop down into the canyon for a bring-your-own picnic lunch at the Cottonwood Glen pavilion. Attendees are also welcome to meet at the picnic area by 1:00 pm where we will set off for an afternoon of exploration.

Nine Mile Canyon has been home to people from many cultures, ranging from Archaic hunter-gatherers to Buffalo Soldiers and cattle barons, but is most famous for the incredible rock art, granaries, and village sites left by communities of Fremont farmers a millennium ago. The Prehistoric Museum serves as a gateway to this canyon and we are currently overhauling our exhibit about this area. We will discuss ideas for the new exhibit and challenges we have encountered with it amidst the natural beauty and cultural landscape we are seeking to interpret. While the rock art is the star of the show the idyllic setting of the canyon is a perfect respite from modern life. Join us to contemplate what it might have been like to call this canyon home across the various time periods that have left the presence of their passing on the surrounding walls.

In the event of severely inclement weather we will host lunch and a discussion of the canyon with a slide show at the museum.

Registration required. UMA Members: Free | General Public: Free