Entry No. 32 — the Phoenix file — filed under: history

Deer Valley Petroglyph Preserve

Over 1,500 Hohokam, Patayan, and Archaic petroglyphs — some ~5,000 years old — cover 500 natural basalt boulders along a quarter-mile trail behind a boomerang-shaped museum designed by architect Will Bruder, run by ASU since 1994 on land beside the Adobe Dam flood-control basin north of Phoenix.

The move: Walk the short self-guided boulder trail spotting figures pecked into the rock centuries apart, then compare notes in the museum on which symbols you each think you decoded correctly.

• 📍 Deer Valley, Phoenix
• 💸 Free
• ⚡ Up for anything
• 🌗 Outdoors

Where: 3711 W Deer Valley Rd, Phoenix, AZ 85308

Hours: Added 2026-07-19 — confirm current hours before you go.

⚠ Seasonal or scheduled — always check before you go.

Plan a visit & invite your people →

Further reading: deervalley.asu.edu · Wikipedia

last checked: 2026-07-19