The stunning metate boulder at the Pleasant Creek Site.

THE PLEASANT CREEK GALLERY

On the afternoon of July 17, 2019, I visited Capitol Reef National Park, after spending the morning exploring the Fish Creek Area west of the park.  I wanted to revisit the main petroglyph panels that Billy and I visited in 2014, but my main objective was to find something new, that I had not seen before.  I had heard about a rock art site on Pleasant Creek.  It is one of those National Park sites that the rangers won’t tell you about.  The trailhead was a pleasant drive along the scenic road that heads south from the visitor’s center.  Near the end of that paved road, you take a dirt road a few more miles to the trailhead.  I enjoyed this hike along Pleasant Creek, although it was very hot that afternoon.  From the trail, I spotted a large rock up on the talus area of a cliff that looked like it had some pictographs on it.  When I hiked up to it, I did not find rock art, but discovered a large painted inscription of a surveyor.  I explored that area, spending about an hour and not finding anything else.  Hiking further upstream along the ledge area that roughly follows the creek, I found the rock art site I was looking for.  It has s number of interesting petroglyphs and evidence of some old faded pictographs.  Right in front of the panel is a magnificent boulder with many metates on the top.  After exploring this site, the heat drove me back to my truck at the trailhead.  I would love to go back to Pleasant Creek, as I am sure there is much more to explore in that canyon.  Here are a few of the photos I took that afternoon.

GALLERY 1

GALLERY 2

AND FINALLY, A FEW MISCELLANEOUS PHOTOS...

Pleasant Creek, robust and beautiful. Easy to understand why the ancients were attracted to this area!
Notice the petroglyphs near the metates...
A small metate and mano a short distance from the main panel at Pleasant Creek.