Three Rivers Petroglyph Site
Three Rivers Petroglyph Site
4.5
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Monday
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Tuesday
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Wednesday
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Thursday
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Friday
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Saturday
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Sunday
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
About
Thousands of rock drawings left behind by ancient Native Americans can be found scattered throughout the site.
Duration: 1-2 hours
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
4.5
246 reviews
Excellent
181
Very good
56
Average
4
Poor
2
Terrible
3
Bernard W
Dallas, TX1,914 contributions
Jul 2020
The petroglyphs date back to between about 900 and 1400 AD, were created by Jornada Mogollon people who used stone tools to remove the dark patina on the exterior of the rock. The Visitor Center is closed due to Covid19, but there is a very helpful guide near where one pays. It helps locate petroglyphs which are clearly numbered on the trail. Parts of the trail are a bit steep, but not hard to navigate.
Written July 24, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
JoGoingTX
Houston, TX36 contributions
Jun 2022
We arrived late in the PM, stayed overnight at the campsite (nobody else there but the host) and completed the petroglyph walk the next morning. We've been to other petroglyph sites where you barely see any or more then 5 ... major WOW ... this place is a GEM. Once you've seen the first glyph you literally fall over them. They are everywhere. There are over 21,000 so you won't be disappointed!! The goose head (well beyond the shadow arch) is our favorite.
Written July 11, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
maldenmusic
Malden, MO2,465 contributions
Dec 2021 • Couples
We read about this place as we were driving through the area so we built in some time to visit and so glad we did. It's a little out of the way but not hard to find. The nice woman at the office gave us a trail guide and off we went. We did the longer of the 2 trails and although it was described as rugged, we didn't have much trouble. The path is rocky but fairly well marked. Some of the petroglyphs are at eye level and others are up high but you are allowed to walk up to them. We've visited many petroglyph sites and then s is one of the best we've seen.
Written December 31, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Mary R
Cincinnati, OH147 contributions
Oct 2021 • Couples
This site features a hiking trail with great access to many petroglyphs. The ranger volunteer was extremely helpful and knowledgeable. I climbed part of the rocky trail with hiking poles and a bad hip, and my husband did the whole trail. There is a small, staffed information building, restrooms, water, picnic tables, and a few camping sites. Great place for a morning hike!
Written October 23, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
ann p
Walker, LA36 contributions
Mar 2022
This site is a bureau of Land Management site. It is a little out of the way, but really worth the effort to find it. There is a small fee, but free if you have the America the Beautiful card.
It is a hike up a small mountain...totally not for those with bad knees! But not a difficult walk. As you are walking up the rocky trail, Indian stone drawings from 500 year ago start showing up on the rocks all around. The scenery and the nearby mountain range are spectacular. You need to allow at least 2 hours for this. There is a visitor center open Wednesday thru Sunday, and a picnic area aw well and nice bathrooms.
Our grandchildren, ages 7 and 9, were with us. They LOVED it!
It is a hike up a small mountain...totally not for those with bad knees! But not a difficult walk. As you are walking up the rocky trail, Indian stone drawings from 500 year ago start showing up on the rocks all around. The scenery and the nearby mountain range are spectacular. You need to allow at least 2 hours for this. There is a visitor center open Wednesday thru Sunday, and a picnic area aw well and nice bathrooms.
Our grandchildren, ages 7 and 9, were with us. They LOVED it!
Written April 18, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Dream174727
30 contributions
Oct 2022
This isn't as well-know as it's larger National Park counterpart, but the Three Rivers site is worth a trip if you're in the neighborhood. We stopped here instead of National Park site because we knew we wouldn't have time to do the larger park.
We arrived late in the season on a day when the ranger site was no open. We had the walking trail to ourselves....but the petroglph trail was not very well marked. There were no brochures explaining the route of the sites we should be looking for. It would have been helpful to have that on the site's website under the BLM umbrella.
While we found many petroglyphs, some of them have faded from earlier photos or videos we've seen online. The walk was moderately strenuous. Take water. The walk down will be felt in your quads the next day.
The nearby shop (at the roadside entrance) was a nice look around as regional art in the area. That's where you can get a souvenir.
We arrived late in the season on a day when the ranger site was no open. We had the walking trail to ourselves....but the petroglph trail was not very well marked. There were no brochures explaining the route of the sites we should be looking for. It would have been helpful to have that on the site's website under the BLM umbrella.
While we found many petroglyphs, some of them have faded from earlier photos or videos we've seen online. The walk was moderately strenuous. Take water. The walk down will be felt in your quads the next day.
The nearby shop (at the roadside entrance) was a nice look around as regional art in the area. That's where you can get a souvenir.
Written November 1, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
VirginiaTravels
Warsaw, VA83 contributions
Jul 2023
This is a major petroglyph site with over 21,000 petroglyphs and it's well worth the trip. Some cautions though: the trail is 1 mile round trip up a rather rocky hill, aptly described as "rugged." This area can be hot (it reached 100 degrees on our visit) and there's no shade, so best go early. There is a small visitor's center, a water fountain, and restrooms.
Written July 20, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Lynette J
13 contributions
Oct 2020 • Couples
Beautiful setting with mountains in distance. Easy 1/2 mile hike to glyphs. We explored for an hour but I could have spent much longer photographing the site as there are 20,000 here. We did not hike to the small pueblo ruin as we were traveling & had time constraints. The glyphs are not handicap accessible as the last part is steps cut into hill that are uneven, rocky & eroded in places. The office is closed due to Covid restrictions. Parking under some trees available with pic nic tables.
Written October 24, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Archie
Glenmoore, PA7,744 contributions
Apr 2022 • Family
This is an amazing site. We parked the car and took the trail. Definitely use a trail guide. The petroglyphs are much more clearer than the other ones we have seen. You can see big horn sheep, faces, spirals. The views are incredible too. Its a climb over rocks. Its a must do in this area.
Written April 16, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
MikeB1952
Santa Fe, NM1,125 contributions
Apr 2023
I was looking for places to see on our way back from Carlsbad and spied the Petroglyph site on the map. Knew nothing about it. But thought it was worth a look. The site north of Tularosa is rather unexpected. The petroglyphs we’ve seen tended to be on the sides of cliffs with some vantage points to view the petroglyphs (and how did the Ancients know that we’d want an easy way to see their work?!). These were quite different. The petroglyphs are on a jumble of rocks on some hills out in the middle of the high desert. And they are all over. Some 21,000 of them in the area. Some petroglyphs appeared to be practice (oh, look what I can do by chipping away the surface). Some animals. Lots of geometric shapes. And some faces. I hadn’t seen faces like these before.
The BLM has created a mile long path among some of the more interesting petroglyphs. Along the way are numbered stakes highlighting some of the more interesting petroglyphs. And some are quite interesting. The trail is certainly up and down with lots of built-in steps. But well maintained and a fairly easy walk. We loved seeing the petroglyphs and thinking about the peoples who made them.
Another really good stop
The BLM has created a mile long path among some of the more interesting petroglyphs. Along the way are numbered stakes highlighting some of the more interesting petroglyphs. And some are quite interesting. The trail is certainly up and down with lots of built-in steps. But well maintained and a fairly easy walk. We loved seeing the petroglyphs and thinking about the peoples who made them.
Another really good stop
Written April 13, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Three Rivers will be a stop enroute from Carlsband Canyons to Alberqurque. How much time do we comfortably need to set aside for this site?
Written October 1, 2017
It depends on how much detail you wish to see. We spent almost all day there photographing.
Written October 3, 2017
Has anyone ever gone to this site with a toddler?
Written May 23, 2017
Oh, yes! When our children were little (under 5) we took them to Three Rivers Petroglyphs on a regular basis. There is plenty to look at for the under 4 feet tall ones. Bring water and a snack/lunch for the end of the trail. There are lovely newly covered picnic tables/bathrooms at the beginning of the trail and a covered sitting area at the end. Children want to go back again and again.
Written May 23, 2017
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