First to check off the list is the Naming Cave. I first became aware of this fascinating little place while scouting out the Gunlock area on Google Earth a few years back. Photographer Don Manion placed an incredible 360-degree panorama of what he calls the Naming Cave smack dab in the middle of Gunlock Reservoir. Obviously the cave isn't under water, but based on what can be seen in the photos, I figured it had to be in the area. However, I could never quite pinpoint its exact location.
I should have known others would have noticed this and would be looking for it also. Still, I was shocked when I checked fellow adventure blogger El Scorcho's site a couple months ago and saw that he had found it! Dang it. Pretty much his first try too.
Anyway he provided the final clue that I needed to figure it out. Instead of biking out to it as El Scorcho did however, I thought it would be fun to pack the family in the Montero and hit some geocaches on the way. We had a lot of fun, but just so you know, it's not easy or safe for little kids to get into the cave itself.
View of the cave's entrance. The petroglyphs are carved on top of the sandstone slab partially blocking the entrance.
Kenneth Castleton first visited the site in 1978 and he briefly described it in his book Petroglyphs and Pictographs of Utah where he refers to the cave simply as the Red Sands site. The art style is believed to be Archaic and therefore could be several thousands of years old. However, since the writings are completely protected from rain and wind, they appear as if they could have been carved yesterday. Truly an amazing site.
There are more glyphs (probably Anasazi) on the north side of the little sandstone mountain as reported in Kenneth's book and confirmed by Sam Hunt who was with us and did a little extra exploring.
Below is Don's 360-degree photo. Cool stuff.
Naming Cave in Utah
A couple of other mysteries have been solved and I'll share them soon!
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6 comments:
Glad you made it. That sight is worth the trip.
Nice work. Glad you had an enjoyable experience. I think you understand, in part, why I located this panoramic where I did.
Don Manion
I belong to a conservation, hiking group out of St George. We have been searching to find the Naming Cave and as of yet have not been able to do so. A group is out today, in search once again. Is there any other help that you could share with me, to help facilitate it's location? If so, you can write to me at tamarajensen@ymail.com
BTW I appreciate your blogs.
Tammy
Thanks for the comment Tammy. Message sent.
Thanks for the comment Tammy. Message sent.
Cool blog! I love exploring this area and finding new places to visit. Wife and I will be visiting next week and I would love a good adventure. Mind emailing me a few more details? robby.sproul at the gmail.
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