Nine Mile
Canyon (as of September 2015)
Located in Carbon
County, outside of Wellington (Route 6/191), Utah. An 80 mile road (50 miles west to east; 30
miles south to north); NO services available; private ranches (RESPECT
private property/no trespassing signs); touring is FREE; take ALL
trash with you; do NOT desecrate rock art and ruin sites.
Set odometer to
zero when turn made onto road to Nine Mile Canyon (from Route 6/191 onto
Soldier Creek Road – currently a Chevron Station on the corner). Mileage may vary 1/10th to 2/10ths
from mile markers due to curvature of the roadway; many sites are 50 to 100
feet upwards (approximations), so be prepared to park, exit vehicle and look. There will also be signatures with dates
going back to the 1880s of pioneers, ranchers and visitors coming through the
area. Many signatures are included as
simply reference points of location. Do NOT
leave your mark!
Mile Mark
05.7 – Dugout Canyon Mine, road goes southward...
12.7 – Mine Buildings and Offices; north side.
21.1 – Entrance to Nine Mile Canyon.
24.0 - Nine Mile Ranch and Campground; south side
(odometer read 23.8).
26.4 – Columns of lines – natural weathering or carved?
26.7 – First Site (rock art site); north side.
27.3 – Wooden log bench to enjoy the view.
27.7 – Cottonwood Glen Picnic Area; south side.
29.7 – Warriors with Shields, initials SF; north side, 50
feet up
30.2 – Weathered wall resembling human figures; snake
inside largest figure; north side.
30.6 – “James 1924”; north side.
30.8 – Human and Mountain Goats; north side.
30.85 – Man with bow and arrow; Bill Good, Wm. Carroll
names; north side; possible “Bullman”
figure (natural carving?).
30.9 – “Rob Powell 1881”; north side.
31.3 – “GB 1934”, “1883”, Man pulling horse with rider;
north side, ground level.
31.8 – Argyle Canyon, road travels northwest to Route 191;
rock art half mile on eastern wall.
32.0 – Series of dots forming a rectangular pattern;
north side, 30 feet up.
32.1 – Deer Panel; north side, approx. 100 feet up.
32.2 – Snake figure; north side, approx. 150 feet up.
32.4 – Man with Antlers, RHJ initials; 15 feet across is
Snake over Human figure; north side, ground
level.
32.5 to 32.6 – Balanced Rock, north side of road; rock
art around base of rock and along walls
extending back
from Balanced Rock; includes “The Juggler”.
32.7 – Snake and Dot Panel, “TC 92”; north side.
32.9 – “6th Infantry 2/2/86”, Long Neck Horse;
north side.
33.3 - Abandoned Homestead, rock art panel behind old truck,
north rock wall.
33.6 - Harmon Canyon, road travels southward; upper walls
on north side of main road have
panels
of rock art.
34.3 – “Towers” rock formation up on south mesa; Snake on
north side, approx. 200 feet up.
34.5 – Centipede; north side, 75 feet up.
34.8 – “L. Wilkinson”, Crane (bird), wavy lines (water?);
north side, approx. 50 feet up (across from
Fasselin Ranch – no trespassing).
34.9 - Partial Panel of Deer, “Bar Bells”, Stars with
Circles at Points; Script Message, “for coughs &
colds, go to Doc Lunt, Nephi”, north side, approx. 50 feet up.
35.2 – Jagged Line and Snake plus panel of various
artwork; north side, approx. 200 feet up.
35.5 – Panel of Animals; north side, approx. 50 feet up.
35.7 – Snowflakes, Hunting Scene; north side, approx. 50
feet up.
35.9 – Three Panels of Patterned Lines, Cranes (birds),
Goats; north side, approx. 100 feet up.
36.1 – Oddly shaped curved figure, Bug-like shape, “Bug
Man”; north side, approx. 50 feet up.
36.3 – Human figure, mountain goat inside grotto; east
wall, 50 feet up; Artwork inside sheltered
ledge; north side, 100 feet up;
Rattlesnake below at 50 feet up.
36.4 – Signatures from 1881, 1888, 1893 plus rock art;
north side, ground level.
36.5 – Five separate panels featuring man with headdress,
hand print, animals; north side, approx.
100 feet up.
36.6 – Triple dot marking on east wall of canyon; man
with horns and spirals on north side, approx.
100 feet
up.
36.7 – Series of small circles; north side, approx. 30
feet up.
36.8 – Faded rock art, signatures dating 1916, 1928, 1964
– north side, ground level.
37.0 – Tree and fish, “WC Carroll 1888”; pointed rock
with carved lines (near mud swallow nests);
north side,
approx. 50 feet up.
37.1 – Modern Graffiti; north side. Prime
Example of Desecration.
37.2 – Five panels of various rock art; north side,
approx. 30 feet up.
37.3 – Bisected field and Deer; north side.
37.6 – Carvings of Spirals and Geometric Shapes;
Spider/Snowflake and Lizard; north side.
37.7 – Spiral, “BP”; north side, ground level.
37.8 – Mud Swallow nests upper north wall; inscription
from 1818 carved along bottom of wall.
37.9 – Faded Long Neck Deer (giraffe like); north side,
ground level.
38.0 – Slanted lines, small deer and stick-like figure;
north side, ground level.
38.1 – Faded circle and Elk; east wall, 30 feet up.
38.2 – Stone house, north side of road; “Indian” wall
with timber and rock art behind corral
fencing; Nutter
Ranch buildings on south side.
38.7 – Just before Gate Canyon Road; set of parallel
lines, 2 squiggly figures; north side, 100 feet up.
38.7 – 30 mile road northward to Gate Canyon, Trailheads,
Summit Vista, Smith’s Well; ends on
Route
40.
38.7 - Rock art past the road of Spirals and Mountain
Goats; north side, 300 feet up.
38.8 – Two sections of Rock art; north side approx. 6
feet from ground level, behind bushes.
38.9 – Two panels: Rainbow, Circles with Lines; Field
with Man; north side, 30 feet up.
39.0 – Short Trail leading into small canyon area; rock
art panels high up on walls (right side)
halfway
up trail.
39.1 – Reindeer panel; north side, approx. 30 feet up.
39.2 – Granary with wood logs and thatched roofing located
high up on northern wall; faded
mountain goat at ground level.
39.5 – Series of Dots, bullet holes have destroyed a
section; north wall, high up; across from cattle
yard.
40.1 – Man on Horse chasing a deer; north side, ground
level.
40.4 – “10-31-1956”, faded mountain goat; north side, 30
feet up.
40.8 – “The Giant”; north side of road; immense giant
human form carved into wall face; ground
level; around corner,
50 feet up on west wall – full pueblo drawing with “horned” figure.
40.9 – Faded panel of small figures; north side, ground
level.
41.0 – Granary high up on southern wall; park in parking
area, look up and southwest.
41.3 – Spiral, human and deer figures; north side, ground
level and right of cattle gate.
41.6 – Spirals, Men with Bows and Arrows; north side.
41.7 – Granary almost at ground level; north side.
41.8 – Ground level stone walls and fire ring; “cowboy
camp”; north side.
41.8 - Corner Granary high up on wall; look up and
northeast (rock around granary looks like a
lizard, granary tucked under its “chin”); north side at ground level is Man
riding a bull.
41.9 – Prickly Pear ATV Trail; southward.
42.4 – Round Granary (timber visible) high up on wall at
edge of ledge; look up and northeast.
43.1 – Snakes, Goats, X on far north wall; Rock formation
to left forms small arch; north side.
43.7 – Carving of House (modern graffiti?); north side,
ground level.
43.8 – Dry Canyon ATV Trail, road travels southward.
43.9 - Rasmussen Cave, fenced in cave with rock art; property
owner sprayed painted “no
trespassing” warning over red deer/elk; north side.
44.0 – Daddy Canyon Complex, north side; numerous rock
art sites; trail over dry wash
leads
to more rock art sites; restroom facilities available on south side of road.
44.8 – Spiral and more; north side, ground level.
45.9 – Fremont Village, south side; extremely steep trail
leads upward to reconstructed
Pit
House; buried Kiva passed along way (overlooks main road).
46.0 – Frank’s Canyon to the left of split, road travels
northeast.
- 4/10ths
of a mile, stop at open fencing, look upwards 100 feet for the “Santa” Panel.
- 5/10ths
of a mile, horned figure, deer, snake with dots over top and bottom.
- 8/10ths
of a mile, snake with dots going through it.
46.0 – Cottonwood Canyon to the right of split, road
travels southeast.
46.1 – The Big Buffalo; rock art located behind sign;
trail to Big Buffalo panel north side;
Pregnant Buffalo located on wall behind fenced in area (Access Closed).
46.3 – The Great Hunt; rock art panel on south side plus
moon phases, various animals and
symbols along
walls.
46.5 – “Plant Life” Panel; south side.
46.6 – Inscription from 1915 carved onto south side wall.
46.8 – Paved roadway ends; unmaintained paved road that
narrows and has blind curves begins; be
aware
of oil company vehicles.
50.2 – Oil company guardhouse; STOP; guard will inform when road is clear to continue to Route
123.
This Legend was
created by Mary and Roy Cokenour, Monticello, Utah (2015).
To View
Photographs of Nine Mile Canyon, go to: http://southwestbrowneyes.com/ , Utah Tab, Scroll Down to Miscellaneous
Counties, click onto various Nine Mile Canyon links. These photographs are the property of the
Cokenours, and cannot be reproduced without written permission.
Enough with advertising (and I don't even get paid for doing it!!!), after that short hike at the Roadside Ruin ( http://www.southwestbrowneyes.com/2017/06/an-easy-hike-in-canyonlands-needles.html ), the very next pull-in was to view Woodenshoe Arch. Put the imagination cap on and yes, it does look like one of those wooden shoes associated with Holland. This is also where you'll get your first viewing of the Needles themselves. Hint, you have to be in the park between 8am to 11am to get the best lighting for viewing and photographing the Needles. After 11am, the sun begins traveling overhead and west, so the Needles become covered in haze.
We continued on the paved roadway towards Big Spring Canyon Overlook, but first stopped at the pull-in area for the Slickrock Foot Trail. We didn't walk that trail as we were too interested in what we spied on the other side of the roadway. That shouldn't mean that you don't do the trail; Roy and I just happen to enjoy doing "Oooo, bunny" stuff; you know, "Oooo, what's over there?" or "Oooo, where does that road go?"
Across from the Slickrock Foot Trail
Looking upwards, I spotted an opening and thought it was either a cave, or an arch; inside though, looks like there's a ruin there (ancient or modern I don't know).
Looking across, you can make out Big Spring Canyon Overlook.
Just a short drive down to the next pull-in area, welcome to Big Spring Canyon!
Next stop, Elephant Hill Road; the Needles can be seen here too (one mile along road - graded to make passenger car accessible), but, again, the haze makes it difficult to see the layers of coloring.
Reaching the parking area, there are actually two trails; 4 Wheel Drive is rated one of the most extreme in Utah, and the hiking trail. We didn't drive the 4WD trail, but walked the first 1/4 of a mile and even that was a bit on the nerve wracking side; had to pay attention to avoid a fall, spraining or even breaking something. It starts out easy on dirt, and then quickly switches to uneven rock!
It's around 4:30pm and time to head on back to Monticello, as the sunset will begin soon enough (remember, this was February 2017). Time enough to take a quick photo of the hiking trail before we go.
