The Chimneys Trail Rock Art Gallery

I hiked the Chimneys Trail in Big Bend National Park on January 7, 2016, searching for rock art.  Below is a brief description of my hike and some of the photos I took that day.  The Chimney’s Trail site contains petroglyphs, a few pictographs, and ample abundance of bed rock grinding holes and incised marks.  While not a particularly stunning hike (other than the rock art), the petroglyph panel found there is one of the nicest Big Bend has to offer.

The Hike to The Chimneys…

To get to the trailhead, From Panther Junction, head west on Hwy 118. Turn south onto the Ross Maxwell Scenic Road and proceed for about 13 miles, looking for a sign indicating the Chimneys Trail on the right. Park on the extended shoulder.  It is about a 2.5 mile hike to the Chimneys, making the hike around 5 miles round trip.  You can continue for another 5 miles past the Chimneys to Luna Jacal, off Old Maverick Road.  I doubt many make the hike past the Chimneys. 

Rock Art at The Chimneys…

As you approach the line of stone structures known as the Chimneys, you see one standing off to the left (or south) all by itself.  This is where you will find the rock art.  The main panel is a fairly large and has a number of petroglyphs.  As you explore around the base of the structure, you will find a few faint pictographs as well.  Here are some of the photos I took of the site and the rock art on my visit. 

View from the trail as you approach the Chimneys. The rock art is located at the base of the rock structure on the left.
If you look closely you can see the petroglyph panel in the center of the base of this rock structure.
The main panel at the Chimneys. Natural weathering has taken its toll.
Details of the abstract elements.
A little different view.
One final view of the petroglyph panel at the Chimneys.
This area is around the corner of the base from the petroglyph panel. Look closely and you can see incised marks.
A very old petroglyph panel, or just my imagination?
Faint pictographs at the Chimneys.
The two elements among the incised marks remind me of the depictions of vulvas at fertility sites on the Volcanic Tablelands north of Bishop, California.
One final pictograph element at the Chimneys.
More fertility symbols (vulvas)?

A Few Photos of the Bedrock Features and Metates at The Chimneys…

There are a surprising number of bedrock grinding holes, cupules, and a few metates at the Chimneys Site.  Here are a few photos.

The bedrock features were scattered about at the site.
A group of three grinding holes.
A grouping of cupules at the site.
Out on a ledge...
Broken metate, or bedrock feature that has broken away from the base of the rock structure?
Interesting-- a deep grinding hole surrounded by cupules.
One final photo of one of the many grinding holes at the Chimneys.