Crane Petroglyph Heritage Site

Older maps, photos and guidebooks call this V Bar V, after the cattle ranch that once held the land. The Forest Service acquired it in 1994, and on March 16, 2024, it was renamed the Crane Petroglyph Heritage Site. It's the largest known petroglyph site in the Verde Valley and one of the best preserved, with 1,032 images in 13 panels on a sandstone wall near Beaver Creek.

The carvings are the work of Southern Sinagua people between about 1150 and 1400 CE. Snakes, turtles, coyotes, deer and human figures appear alongside spirals and grids. The site has been central to defining what archeologists call the Beaver Creek style. Unusually, all its petroglyphs are in this one style and most are well spaced, with few newer designs drawn over older ones. Local avocational archeologist Ken Zoll has also argued that the panels contain a solar calendar.

Visits are simple. From the small visitor center and bookstore, about 100 yards from the parking area, an easy path of about a third of a mile leads to the fenced rock art. It's accessible by wheelchair, though the viewing area itself is not, according to the town's tourism site. Guides from the Verde Valley Archaeological Society and Friends of the Forest are on site during opening hours to explain what you're seeing. Some historic ranch buildings survive near the visitor center.

The schedule is the catch. The site opens only four days a week, Friday to Monday, with shorter summer hours, and it closes when the temperature tops 100°F. Call the Red Rock Ranger Visitor Center at (928) 203-2900 before you drive out. There's no drinking water on site, so bring your own.