Petroglyphs Provincial Park facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Petroglyphs Provincial Park |
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IUCN Category III (Natural Monument)
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Building protecting petroglyphs
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| Location | Woodview, Ontario, Canada |
| Nearest city | Peterborough |
| Area | 16.43 km2 (6.34 sq mi) |
| Governing body | Ontario Parks |
| Official name: Peterborough Petroglyphs National Historic Site of Canada | |
| Designated: | 1981 |
Petroglyphs Provincial Park is a very special park in Woodview, Ontario, Canada. It's located northeast of Peterborough. This park is famous for having the largest collection of ancient rock carvings, called petroglyphs, in all of Ontario!
These amazing carvings were made by First Nations people a very long time ago, even before Christopher Columbus arrived in North America. The carvings show important parts of their spiritual beliefs. You can see images of shamans (spiritual leaders), animals, reptiles, and maybe even a powerful figure known as the Great Spirit. For many years, the exact location of these carvings was kept secret from people outside the First Nations community. It was only rediscovered by accident in 1954 by a prospector named Everett Davis. The area where the petroglyphs are found is now a National Historic Site of Canada.
Ancient Rock Carvings: The Teaching Rocks
Experts believe the rock carvings were made by Algonquian or Iroquoian-speaking people. This happened between 900 and 1100 AD, or possibly even earlier. Today, First Nations people in Ontario call these carvings Kinomagewapkong. This means "the rocks that teach" or "the Teaching Rocks."
There are about 1200 carvings on the soft, gently sloping rock. They were made using hard gneiss hammers to carve into the stone. Originally, the carvings were about two to three inches deep. They show human figures, different animals, and a main figure whose head looks like the sun.
Researchers Joan and Ron Vastokas carefully studied these petroglyphs in the 1960s. Their book, Sacred Art of the Algonkians, is a very important study of these carvings.
The park's Learning Centre explains that the carvings are important, but the rock site itself is also a very sacred place. Many Ojibwe people still visit this site as a place of pilgrimage. There are deep cracks in the rock that are believed to lead to the spirit world. An underground stream flows beneath the rock, making sounds that First Nations people believe are the voices of spirits.
Nature and Wildlife at the Park
Even though Petroglyphs Provincial Park is known for its history, most of its 1643 hectares (about 4060 acres) are covered by forests. This woodland is home to many interesting animals and plants. Some species, like the five-lined skink, are quite rare in Ontario.
The park is also next to the Peterborough Crown Game Reserve. This means you might spot many different animals that live in the area. These include beavers, otters, white-tailed deer, squirrels, and chipmunks. Sometimes, you might even see a wolf! The park is also a great place for birdwatching. You can see wild turkeys, woodpeckers, grouse, hawks, jays, and eagles flying overhead.
Park Facilities and Visitor Information
Petroglyphs Provincial Park is open every day from 10 am to 5 pm. However, it is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays in the spring and fall. The park opens on the second Friday in May and stays open until Thanksgiving.
The park has a visitor centre called The Learning Place, which opened in 2002. This centre is managed by the Curve Lake First Nation. Inside, you'll find exhibits that explain the petroglyphs and their spiritual meaning to First Nations people. You can also watch a movie called The Teaching Rocks, which is shown daily upon request. There's a special room with hands-on activities for children and a gift shop.
The rock carvings themselves are protected by a special building. There are also signs and guides at the site to help you understand what you are seeing. For spiritual reasons, taking photos or videos of the rock carvings is not allowed. Also, dogs are not permitted inside any of the park buildings.
