Chidago Canyon Petroglyphs

The Chidago Canyon Petroglyph sites are an area of concentrated rock art galleries located in the Volcanic Tablelands area north of Bishop along the far northern portion of the Owens River Valley.

The Volcanic Tablelands petroglyphs are recognized by the National Register of Historic Places, owing to the numerous examples of rock art believed to be between 1,000 and 8,000 years in age and created by ancestors of the Paiute-Shoshone peoples. Amongst other local examples, the galleries within Chidago Canyon may be the most scenic and picturesque. Two concentrated clusters -- a northern cluster on several stone buttes with a short trail encircling the rock formations, and a southern cluster drawn on an isolated rock wall -- are the best examples for visitors to track down.

Chidago Canyon sits at the meeting of the Northern Mojave and Great Basin regions, and contain a unique range of biological diversity. The stone buttes also sit above the slope to the valley floor, offering amazing views of the surrounding landscape.

Visitors should be aware that there are no amenities of any kind out here, and cell service is non-existent. Reaching the petroglyph sites requires driving several miles down a gravel road that is usually passable to passenger vehicles under dry conditions.