Courthouse Wash Pictographs

Courthouse Wash Pictographs are a collection of rock paintings on a sandstone cliff near Moab created over thousands of years. The paintings display human figures and abstract forms painted directly onto the rock surface in different styles and colors.

The earliest paintings were created in a distinctive style that emerged roughly 4,000 years ago, while later artists from different cultures added their own work to the rock. These layers of artwork show how the site remained important to different peoples across many generations.

The rock wall displays artwork created by different Native American groups who used this site across many centuries. You can observe how successive peoples added their own paintings to the same stone surface over time.

The walk to the paintings is short and follows an easy path across the canyon floor. Visitors should wear sturdy shoes and visit early in the morning or late afternoon when shadows help reveal details on the rock surface.

Scientific study using special imaging technology revealed hidden paintings beneath the visible surface layer created in earlier times. This discovery showed that artists painted over their earlier work and modified compositions across different periods.