Everyone has heard of rock climbing where you use ropes and pikes -this is a little different-no ropes. no pikes. You just need good walking shoes/boots-sometime-a beautiful day (hopefully not hot) and a mind to just relax, take in the sites and enjoy. Now, I have to warn those who may have health conditions such as pacemakers, bad knees, etc then this climbing might not be for you. Oh and make sure you take a camera and water.

Some of the trails are short and easy to maneuver and some are moderate and require some caution footing and might take 30 minutes or more. And then you have the difficult climbs which take more time. No matter what path yoy take always keep you eyes "peeled" for the markings on the rocks. Some you may not know what they represent others will be so simpe such as a heart.

As for the parking, if you want to park up close then you need to arrive very early (like when the park opens) otherwise you are left driving around and no finding a parking spot and have to walk a good 5-10 minutes just to get to the mountain. And if you have health issues this isn't so good.

Of course you could always as the rangers if you can wait and be notified by a park ranger when a space becomes available.

Now, it does cost $1 for a car and the hours are: 8am to 5pm and they are open year round

So dig in and enjoy! Oh and dont forget to stop by the visitors center.

Stopped by the visitor center, listened to a brief ranger presentation about the trails and petroglyphs, then headed to the trails of our choice. There are several trails available of varying lengtghs and difficulties. There is a trail for everyone - one was literally a total of about 30 yards while another was a 2 1/2 mile hike through the desert. All of the trails are interesting and you are virtually guaranteed to see petroglyphs at them all. It is very interesting to scan the rocks, locate the petroglyphs, and think about someone carving the figures in the volcanic rock long ago. It provided a pretty cool connection to the past and I thought it was well worth the visit. Be aware though that this is a fairly low-key activity and people with little to no interest in history may actually find it boring. The only cost is $1.00 per vehicle. As several others have noted, this exhibit is outside IN THE DESERT so it is usually HOT. Take some water, wear a hat and some sunscreen, and enjoy the petroglyphs and hikes.

We arrived late in the day, so parked outside the gates as they close at 5pm, there were a few others doing the same. It was a beautiful day for a hike, make sure you wear good walking shoes, but the walk is well worth it! Very interesting pictures and beautiful views.

This was our first experience with Petrology. Walking distances were varied for all abilities. Would be extremely hot in the summer, but the fall was a perfect time to visit.