- Locale: San Juan River
- Time: 1-3 Days
- Fee: User Fee
Traveling the San Juan River from Sand Island to Mexican Hat will impress upon you the long history of occupation in Southeast Utah. Experience this rock imagery panel from the San Juan River where you can see hundreds of petroglyphs that are from 200 to thousands of years old. The panel is famous for the large broad-shouldered anthropomorph figures from the Basketmaker era. You can access this panel directly from the river on a private or guided multi-day trip. There are no facilities or water available at Big Kachina Panel.
Special Considerations
When viewing the Big Kachina Panel, please visit with respect and refrain from touching rock art or making your own. Access to the Big Kachina Panel typically requires an overnight stay for which you pack in your own water and food and pack out trash and human waste.
- Tips For Visiting Here with Respect
Camp & Eat Away from Archaeology
Ancestral sites and structures are where Tribes and Pueblos believe their ancestors' spirits still reside. Camping, fires, and food can damage cultural sites and spoil the view for other visitors. Remember to pack out all your waste, including food scraps and poop.
Don’t Touch Rock Imagery or Make Your Own
Natural oils on your hands can destroy delicate rock imagery. Vandalism of petroglyphs and pictographs erases stories of early Indigenous peoples and destroys the experience for future visitors.
Stay on Established Trails
Stay on existing trails and routes to protect the living biocrust. Once stepped on, this fragile crust takes years to regrow.
- Maps and Directions
- Coordinates: 37.233054, -109.669795
- Directions:
River Access: Launching from Sand Island Campground and boat ramp, pull over at River Mile 4.2 on the right and follow trails north to the first sandstone bluff.