Deer Valley Rock Art Center

I wanted to visit V-V (pronounced vee-bar-vee) to view the petroglyphs there outside of Sedona. They are not open on Thursdays, just the weekends. Another reason to support your National Park Service!

One of the park rangers at Montezuma Castle suggested I visit Deer Valley Rock Art Center, part of the Arizona State University Department of Anthropology, as I enter Phoenix, Arizona. I took her up on her suggestion and headed for the area.

I was the only one visiting the Center at this time and had the facility all to myself. They have done a wonderful job of educating the public on the history, preservation and future of this site. There have been over 1500 petroglyphs discovered at the Hedgpeth Hills site.

The 1/4 mile trail is easy to follow and well marked. Viewing tubes point out some of the markings on the dark rocks. Lots of wildlife in the area, I saw quail, a squirrel, some salamanders and a very large Chuckawalla. It is also a habitat for rattlesnakes, the exit door of the center asks to keep the door closed so that the wildlife stays wild...and outdoors.

It was a very nice side trip, admission was $5, and definitely worth the time to visit if in the area.