Nine Mile Canyon Map and Legend - Updated March 2015

For all you visitors to Nine Mile Canyon in Carbon County, Utah; here is the updated map and legend I just finished creating.  Roy and I spent eight hours there on Monday, March 23rd; riding 5-10 miles per hour, noting down odometer readings and taking photographs.  If you've never been to 9 Mile, or it has been awhile, since your last visit; then enjoy finding all the Fremont Rock Art and Ruin sites we found.

Mary Cokenour

Nine Mile Canyon Map

Nine Mile Canyon Legend

Nine Mile Canyon (as of March, 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, 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.  Do NOT leave your mark!

Mile Mark

05.7 – Dugout Canyon Mine, road goes southward...

12.7 – Mine Buildings and Offices; north side of road.

21.1 – Entrance to Nine Mile Canyon.

24.0 - Nine Mile Ranch and Campground; south side (odometer read 23.8).

26.7 – First Site (rock art site); north side of road.

27.7 – Cottonwood Glen Picnic Area; south side.

29.7 – “Bolo Man”; north side, approx. 100 feet up

31.2 – “GB 1934”; north side, ground level.

31.5 – “Tug of War” panel; north side, ground level.

31.8 – Argyle Canyon, road travels northward; rock art half mile on eastern wall.

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”; north side, ground level.

32.5 – Balanced Rock, north side of road; rock art around base of rock and along walls   

            extending back from Balanced Rock; includes “The Juggler”.

32.6 – Snake and Dot Panel; 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.

34.8 – “L. Wilkinson”, Bird Panel; north side, approx. 50 feet up (across from Fasselin Ranch – no

               trespassing).

35.2 – Jagged Line and Snake; north side, approx. 200 feet up.

35.5 – Panel of Various Animals; north side, approx. 50 feet up.

35.7 – Spider/Snowflake, Fish-like Animal; north side, approx. 50 feet up.

35.9 – Panel of Patterned Lines, Birds, Goats; north side, approx. 100 feet up.

36.1 – Oddly shaped curved figure, Bug-like shape; north side, approx. 50 feet up.

36.4 – Signatures from 1881, 1888, 1893 plus rock art; north side, ground level.

36.5 – Three 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.

37.2 – Five panels of various rock art; north side, approx. 30 feet up.

37.6 – Carvings of Spirals and Geometric Shapes; Spider/Snowflake and Lizard; north side.

37.8 – Mud Swallow nests upper north wall; inscription from 1818 carved along bottom of wall.

37.9 – Faded Deer; north side, ground level.

38.0 – Slanted lines, small deer and stick-like figure; north side, ground level.

38.2 – Stone house, north side of road; “Indian” wall with timber and rock art behind corral

               fencing.

38.2 – Nutter Ranch.

38.7 – 30 mile road northward to Gate Canyon, Trailheads, Summit Vista, Smith’s Well; ends on

           Route 40.  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 – Rainbow, Circles with Lines; north side, ground level.

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.

39.5 – Series of Dots; north wall, high up; across from cattle yard.

40.2 – “10-31-1956”; north side.

40.8 – “The Giant”; north side of road; immense giant human form carved into wall face;                    

                ground level.

41.0 – Granary high up on southern wall; park in parking area, look up and southwest.

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”).

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.

43.0 – X on far wall, Rock formation forms small arch; north side

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.

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 – Cottonwood Canyon, road travels southward.

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.

 

Late Fall at Nine Mile Canyon - Part Three.

Late fall, early December, and here we were making our way through Nine Mile Canyon once again. When we were there in October, there were many vehicles around full of tourists visiting the sites on the pamphlet map. Today, we were waved at by local ranchers, or oil workers, driving by; nice to know we were remembered (my blog advertising magnets on the doors of the SUV told them who we were).

I made sure to take a few photos of the exact places we stopped the first time, landscape wise, so you can see the differences the weather can make on the area. The panorama was taken at mile mark 10.7; go to Part One to see how the landscape changed in just over one month.

The first 30 miles or so were a scenic winter wonderland; then the scenery changed completely.  It was as if someone had drawn a line through the area and said, "Ok snow, you stay on that side only!"




We had already made plans to drive slowly along the roadway and take photos of all we could see.  There are many abandoned homes dating back to the pioneers; take note of the differences in building materials and styles.

 

While we can only take one day trips, you might wonder if there is camping available in Nine Mile Canyon, and the answer is yes.  At 24.0 miles, Nine Mile Ranch and Campgrounds would be your haven; it's closed for the winter season, but I did notice that the cabins do have picnic tables and barbecues for anyone renting them out.

 

Here comes some exciting photos for those who appreciate Rock Art; the road to Harmon Canyon is at 33.6 miles.  We didn't travel to the canyon area, that's for another day; park and look across at the low rock walls across from the canyon road...panels of rock art!  One of the panels definitely has Elk, however, with the snowy scenery; we decided to pretend they were reindeer.  What?   Did you think that Santa and his reindeer didn't visit Nine Mile Canyon; well here's proof that he did and the ancient people of this area noticed!

 

 

We discovered another clue to finding, not just rock art, but ruin sites...follow the mud swallows.   At many of the sites we found, not on the pamphlet map, there were mud swallow nests tucked into the wall crevices nearby.  At mile mark 37.8, we first noticed the nests high up on the walls, but down below were inscriptions from 1818.

Across from this site, I was able to make a new friend; in a pasture was a bull.  Going across the road, I softly spoke to him and he began to make his way closer to the fence.  I continually made soothing noises at him, and told him how handsome he was...he began to pose.  At one point, he lowered his head and made a soft lowing sound (not a moo and not a bellow); to me it was as if he was saying, "Ah shucks ma'am".  I bid him goodbye, and he walked away to do, well whatever bulls do; but he was a bit of a sweetheart.

The sun decided to make an appearance; rays of light plus shadows from clouds made the landscape pop!

I like to make believe these are castle towers. 

Mile mark 38.1 brings you to an abandoned stone house with a corral nearby; check out the walls behind the corral to see an "Indian wall" with timbers still holding up a portion of stone roof.

At mile mark 38.6, another road leads northward to Gate Canyon, Summit Vista, Smith's Well, and eventually ends at Route 40 to either Myton or Duchesne.  Nope, didn't go this way yet, but this is where I'm stopping this part of our story.  Part Four you'll see what other goodies we found as we continue up to mile mark 50 on the main road.  I will leave you with a few interesting sites and more wildlife.



Featured in Part One; looks starker in the wintery sky.

Ooooo, Bunny!



Mary Cokenour