Quail rock art panel facts for kids
 Location in Utah
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| Location | San Juan County, Utah |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 37°27′55″N 110°04′19″W / 37.4654°N 110.0720°W |
| History | |
| Cultures | Basketmaker, Fremont |
| Site notes | |
| Archaeologists | Richard Wetherill, Michael Harner |
| Ownership | public |
| Management | Bureau of Land Management |
| Public access | yes |
The Quail Panel is a special place where you can see ancient Native American art painted on rocks. It's located in a beautiful area called Cedar Mesa in San Juan County, Utah. This amazing rock art is found where Grand Gulch and Step Canyon meet.
Grand Gulch is famous for having many well-preserved rock paintings and old homes built into cliffs. The Quail Panel is a collection of these paintings, called pictographs.
What is the Quail Panel?
The Quail Panel gets its name from a clear picture of a quail or a bird that looks like a quail. This bird has a bright green and reddish-brown eye!
What You Can See
Besides the quail, the panel shows a line of human-like figures. These figures might be warriors. They have shields and special hairstyles or feathered headbands.
Two of these figures are painted green. Using green paint was very rare for rock art in the American Southwest. You can also see a red, grumpy-looking face that might be a mountain lion.
Who Made This Art?
Experts believe the art was made by people from the Basketmaker II or Fremont groups. Cedar Mesa is a unique spot where these two ancient cultures lived close to each other.
How to Visit the Quail Panel
Hiking to the Quail Panel is an adventure! The easiest and shortest way is usually the "Government Trail." This path is about 9.6 miles long and takes you past a place called Polly's Island. Along this trail, you'll also pass another cool rock art site called the Big Man Panel.
There are longer ways to get there too. From the Collins Spring trailhead through Collins Canyon, it's about 18.5 miles. If you start from the Kane Gulch Ranger Station trailhead through Kane Gulch, it's about 19.5 miles.
