Ninemile Canyon, Archaeological site and scenic byway in Carbon County, Utah, United States.
This 40-mile canyon contains over 10,000 petroglyphs and pictographs along its walls, making it North America's largest concentration of rock art panels.
The Fremont culture inhabited the canyon between 950 and 1250 AD, constructing dwellings, granaries, and creating extensive rock art depicting their daily activities.
Archaeological evidence reveals multiple indigenous groups, including Archaic, Fremont, and Ute peoples, who left their marks through different artistic styles and building techniques.
Visitors can access the canyon via a maintained road that winds through the landscape, offering opportunities to view ancient rock art and archaeological structures.
Natural gas drilling operations in the region have led to ongoing discussions between preservationists and industry about protecting the archaeological treasures.
Location: Carbon County
Location: Duchesne County
Location: Uintah County
Elevation above the sea: 1,413 m
GPS coordinates: 39.77640,-110.50000
Latest update: June 10, 2025 18:23
Utah preserves thousands of years of human history alongside some of North America's most varied geological landscapes. The region contains extensive rock art panels and Ancestral Pueblo ruins, including the 13th-century stone structures at Bears Ears National Monument and the 650-plus petroglyphs carved into Newspaper Rock over two millennia. Fremont Indian State Park displays more than 1,000 artifacts from the indigenous peoples who inhabited these lands, while fossilized dinosaur tracks near Moab record the passage of Allosaurus and Diplodocus across ancient mudflats 150 million years ago. The natural environment ranges from the sculpted sandstone formations of Goblin Valley, where erosion has created mushroom-shaped rocks rising 20 feet (6 meters) from the desert floor, to the narrow passages of Kanarra Creek Canyon with its red walls and cascading waterfalls. The Wedge Overlook reveals 1,000-foot (300-meter) cliffs above the San Rafael River, while Monroe's thermal springs emerge from the ground at 110°F (43°C). Whether exploring slot canyons, examining ancient handprints on rock walls, or walking among eroded sandstone formations, visitors encounter landscapes that document both geological processes spanning millions of years and the enduring presence of human cultures in this high desert region.
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