Peninsula Petroglyph Trail - Lyman Lake, AZ

Overview: The Peninsula Petroglyph Trail is an easy, self-guided hike at Lyman Lake State Park, that features an assortment of rock art images pecked into boulders along the shore of Lyman Lake. The trail itself is made up of a series of interconnecting loops, totaling 1.4 miles, although one can see the petroglyphs on a simple quarter of a mile, out-and-back hike along the main outer loop of the Peninsula Petroglyph Trail. Other attractions at the park include the Rattlesnake Point Pueblo, and the Ultimate Petroglyph Trail.


As of this writing, Lyman Lake is open to the public, and the entrance fee is still required. However, the park headquarters/visitor center does not appear to be open.Hike: The trail departs from the day use parking area on a peninsula, near the trailer camping area. There is an information board and a small sign indicating "petroglyphs" at the trailhead. Follow the left side of the clearly defined loop trail along the north side of the peninsula. Within a quarter of a mile, a marked spur trail breaks off to the left, heading downhill towards the lake. A series of rock stairs takes one past numerous slabs of rock covered in a variety of petroglyphs. Some of the petroglyphs are recognizable as animals, whereas many are abstract shapes of whose meaning one can only guess. Remember that skin oils can damage rock art. Continue down the spur trail, which soon rejoins the main outer loop.

Once back at the main outer loop of the Peninsula Petroglyph Trail, another spur loop branches off to the right (south). This second little side loop climbs high on the little peninsula, past interesting formations of crumbling sedimentary rock. There is a nice view of the surrounding area before the spur returns to the main outer loop.

The main outer loop continues along the shoreline, wrapping around the peninsula in a clockwise loop. More side loops branch off along the way, all of which are quite short. The main outer loop rejoins itself near the trailhead, at about the 1 mile point.

2009-06-23 PrestonSands