V-Bar-V Heritage Site

This was an excellent stop on our tour of the area. There was a guide there and he gave us a great overview of everything we were looking at. I’ve been to a handful of petroglyph sites around California, Utah, and Arizona. This is the most interesting one I’ve seen so far.

If you like petroglyphs you should come here. It is a quick walk for a lot of petroglyphs ~¾ mi walk round trip although they say ²⁄₃. The start of the ¹⁄₃ to the petroglyphs started after a bit of walking which is why I say it’s a bit more.
If you go in the main part of the day there is a volunteer who will explain what some of the markings mean. Also, in the visitor center you can buy a red rocks pass to use here and in the area so you don’t have to get one from a vending machine.
If you like to check out gift shops they have a little gift shop and best of all, a bathroom with running water. If you are in the area and like this type of place stop in.

We followed Unilocal reviewer Paul L.‘s directions to get here after googlemaps turned us in the wrong direction. If you’re planning to visit this site, definitely read his directions and don’t bother plugging any directions into your phone.
I have seen differing feedback about the state of the roads getting here– for the most part this road was paved, with a very small stretch of dirt road at the end. It was absolutely possible to get here safely in a VW Golf, so no worries there.
We obtained a Red Rocks pass in advance; you will need one to park here. Stop by the visitor’s center to sign in before visiting the site. The walk to the site was maybe ¼ mile at most, on flat dirt paths with minimal shade. There are plaques about local wildlife along the path, which added to the experience.
At the end of the path we found the petroglyph site, which is fenced off. You can go inside the fence to see the images up close, it seems like it is probably locked at night to discourage vandalism. I wasn’t sure what to expect from this site, but I was pleasantly surprised to see that the petroglyphs, although hundreds of years old, were in great shape despite being exposed to the elements for so long. A docent at the site told us all about the people who created them, their spiritual beliefs, their marriage practices, etc. It was great to have the opportunity to ask questions of someone so well-​versed in the petroglyphs’ history and meaning. If you are interested in archaeology, you really can’t miss this site.

A definite must see! It’s about a mile hike on flat ground round trip. You will need a Red Rock pass or equivalent which you can buy there. It’s a small site but the petroglyphs are remarkable. A highlight of our trip!

We happened to visit the first time on the summer solstice when the light hits the petroglyphs in a way that highlights their use as a calendar for the ancients. The second time we went there were a bunch of displays about various historic and cultural historical topics… very interesting. We saw something new each visit and it well worth the time.

About a .5-​mile walk each way from the Visitor/​Ranger station… the petroglyphs are pretty cool. The ranger/​interpreter was informative, nice, and patient with peoples’ questions. Very nice little side-​trip on our way from Sedona to Flag;

The petroglyphs at the ruins of V-​Bar-​V Ranch are located off the exit where Interstate 17 meets Route 179 toward Sedona. Instead of going west on 179, go east on the dirt road for a few miles until it ends at the parking lot. There is a small visitor’s center and the chimney ruins of the former V-​Bar-​V ranch house that greet you before the short walk to the petroglyphs.
You’ll be in for a treat because these petroglyphs, a legacy of the Sinagua people circa AD 1150 – 1400, have always been protected. When this was private land, the petroglyphs were surrounded by barbed wire to keep the grazing cows from getting too close. Years later, a strong fence was installed to keep the grazing vandals away.
The richness of these images is powerful and the mossy green lichen growing in the grooves of some of the images makes them even more striking. Animals, geometric patterns, human forms, abstract images: there is so much to see that I stood for over an hour just breathing it all in.
A bonus to my visit was the good fortune of seeing rays of orange afternoon sun shine on the two large rocks lodged in the vertical crevice. The resulting shafts of shade demonstrated this panel’s use as a solar calendar.
The petroglyphs at V-​Bar-​V are a little gem that won’t announce their presence as you drive on the interstate. No sign will say ‘Exit Here’ so you’ll have to accept the responsibility and find your way to this reward.