Sunday, December 21, 2003
Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal

TRIP OF THE WEEK: Grapevine Canyon attracts visitors with ancient rock art

One of Nevada's most impressive displays of ancient American Indian rock art decorates the mouth of lovely Grapevine Canyon, a desert oasis near Laughlin. Visitors recognize some of the animal symbols incised into the surface of large boulders guarding the canyon, but the meanings of other symbols remain mysterious.

Grapevine Canyon lies within Lake Mead National Recreation Area about 90 miles from Las Vegas. To reach it, drive south on U.S. 95 through Searchlight. Turn onto Highway 163 toward Laughlin. Follow this scenic highway as it twists through a pass in the rugged Newberry Mountains. About 15 miles from the junction with U.S. 95, watch for a graded road on the left. Turn on this desert side road to explore Grapevine Canyon and nearby Christmas Tree Pass.

Pull into the Grapevine Canyon parking area at the end of a short spur off the main gravel road. A good foot trail leads about a half a mile near the edge of a major wash created when floodwaters spill out of the canyon. In a year of plentiful rains, the creek water runs out of the canyon a short distance to disappear into the sand.

Even in times of drought, spring water still feeds the little stream in the bottom of Grapevine Canyon, so named for the tangled growth of wild grapevines found there.

Great piles of boulders stand sentinel on either side of the wash. Though time and rushing waters dim some of the petroglyphs, most of the ancient symbols survive. Painstakingly pecked into the surface of the boulders by aboriginal artists, the petroglyphs etch every available rock face. Experts guess the ancient artists worked on the stone for several centuries. Through difficult to date, the petroglyphs sometimes show the return of desert varnish, a measurable chemical reaction.

The Grapevine Canyon petroglyphs seem to be something more than simple trail markings, indicated by their sheer abundance. Early cultures considered nearby Spirit Mountain, the highest craggy peak in the Newberry Range, a place of great spiritual significance. Perhaps the rock art at Grapevine Canyon reflects ritualism connected with the mountain. Since the passage of time conceals most of the symbols' meaning, even the experts are left guessing.

Even at this time of year, Grapevine Canyon invites exploration. Generally mild winter weather sits lightly upon the desert near the Colorado River. The cottonwoods in Grapevine Canyon cling to their amber leaves practically until springtime brings the budding of new leaves. Freezing nights may rime the tiny pools with ice or create icicles where water drips. Even without the ice, rock surfaces polished slick by rushing water make streamside footing treacherous in places. With the return of warm weather, the slick rock for sliding and pools for splashing delight visitors.

Hikers follow ancient pathways when they explore the vegetation-choked canyon toward the source of the spring feeding the stream. Native people long ago frequented the canyon for hunting and food gathering. The reliable source of water and shade in the canyon provided respite from the arid landscape several miles from the river. Except for a few roads, the desert remains little changed from times before white explorers probed the desert's secrets, mapping and naming landmarks. The Newberry Mountains bear the name of a member of an exploratory expedition in the late 1800s.

Keep a sharp watch on rock faces along the trail for additional rock art. At one point a small masterpiece sits well above the stream-tumbled rocks in the canyon bottom. A trio of desert sheep flees across the face of a boulder, their action frozen in stone hundreds of years ago.

To further explore the area, drive back to the main gravel road and turn left. Nature provides many attractive places just off the road for tailgate picnics. After a couple of miles, the road reaches a rough area where it begins a climb toward Christmas Tree Pass. Depending on the amount of seasonal flooding, this road may not be suitable for passenger vehicles. Those with four-wheel drive should have no difficulty continuing through Christmas Tree Pass. Climbing over a sparsely wooded summit, the road returns to U.S. 95 some miles south of Searchlight.

Margo Bartlett Pesek's Trip of the Week column appears Sundays.