V Bar V RANCH prehistoric rock art site

V Bar V Ranch, 2 turtles, panel detail

Location: east of I-17 near Sedona, Verde Valley, Coconino National Forest
Distance: 17 miles from Sedona (via AZ-179 and FR-618), about 100 miles from Phoenix, 44 miles from Flagstaff.
Opening hours: open year-round (closed Thanksgiving and December 25th), from 9:30 am to 4:30 pm; for news/updates contact the Ranger Station in Sedona.
Contact: Sedona Ranger District Station, 250 Brewer Road, Sedona, AZ, phone (928) 282-4119
Fees: yes, for parking (Red Rock Pass) & entrance
Directions from I-17: Use I-17 Exit 298 and turn east onto the paved FR-618, drive for about 2.8 miles (pass the Forest Service Campground and the narrow bridge over the Beaver Creek), then look for the sign to the V Bar V Ranch, there turn right onto the parking area (don't forget to use a Red Rock Pass); from there walk down to the Ranger building and pay the entrance fee for the rock art site.
Directions from Sedona: Drive AZ-179 east (towards I-17), at the I-17 interchange go straight (under the highway), then follow the directions above.
Note: The Forest Road 618 is narrow, especially at the bridges over the Red Tank Draw and Beaver Creek.

detail, main panel

V Bar V Ranch Petroglyph Site. It is the largest petroglyph site in the Verde Valley (all together 1032 individual petroglyphs in 13 panels) and one of the largest panels in Arizona.
This rock art site is located just west of the lime stone hill 'Sacred Mountain'. On top of this hill was one of the major communities of the ancient Sinagua people who moved to this area from east-central Arizona and lived here between A.D. 650 and 1400.
The name Sinagua is Spanish for 'without water', a reference to the general aspect of the land that this ancient tribe once inhabited.

Here the petroglyphs were made by using a hammerstone and sharpened chisel-like stone (indirect percussion) with well-defined edges and very little overlap - now known as 'Beaver Creek Style'.
The rock art site shows elements of snakes, turtles, coyotes or dogs, stick-figured humans with/without circular stomaches, young/unmarried females, lizards, bear paws, asterisks, rectangles, dots, and lines, grids, spirals, concentric circles and hikers with backpacks. Unique are elements like the water-birds (herons?) and figures which look like palm trees. Interesting is also the pairing of some elements (f.e. turtles).

The pictures shown on this page are from the large main panel and from a side panel (to the left of the main panel).

The visit. It is a short walk (about half-a-mile) on a small trail from the Ranger building to the main petroglyph site. First you pass the authentic chimney of the former ranch building. The trail leads you over green grass areas and within trees.

chimney of a historic V Bar V Ranch building

authentic ranch sign on the back side of the chimney

Soon you will reach the fenced-in prehistoric rock art site where staff will provide you with information and answer your questions.


left part of main panel (enlargeable)

right part of main panel (enlargeable)

side panel, around the left corner of the main panel (enlargeable)

Tipp: Before visiting read the Archaeological Site Etiquette Guide (provided by the 'Coconino National Forest - Sedona Ranger District' for the Palatki and Honanki Ruins, but it applies for this site too) and also the Archaeological Resources Protection Act of 1979 about definition, protection, prohibited acts and criminal penalties.

Nearby attractions:
Please visit the page Trips and Sightseeing in Northern Arizona for other interesting parks, monuments and places north of Phoenix.

All information: as of 2003

Links to websites and information about the V Bar V Ranch and the area (links open in a new window):
V Bar V Ranch petroglyph site E
V Bar V Ranch Petroglyphs photos and info
Coconino National Forest official website of the US Forest Service
The Red Rock Pass info of the US Forest Service, Coconino National Forest
The V Bar V Ranch website of The University of Arizona (see the page about The Historic V Bar V Ranch)

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