The Amazing Rock Art Panels of Paradox Valley Colorado

Nestled in Paradox Valley, along State Highway 90 west of Naturita in western Colorado, lie two remarkable rock‐art petroglyph panels: the Shaman Panel and the Hunting Magic Panel.

The Shaman Panel (shown above) is one of the most impressive rock art panels I've ever seen. Perched in a steep canyon off of Highway 90, it's reached via a dirt road that crosses private land under an easement. Those with a high-clearance 4x4 can drive almost right to this panel and camp there. Those with less capable vehicles will have to park a bit farther away and follow the old dirt road. The route is rated as easy,  but there is some Class II scrambling at the very end if you want to actually climb up and see the panel. Once reached, the panel unfolds along a rock face about 20 feet long, with scores of well-preserved petroglyphs carved by indigenous artists hundreds of years ago. Many animals, abstract motifs, handprints, tracks, and spirit-figure-like forms are visible. Because of its remoteness and relatively protected location, the Shaman Panel retains much of its original rock patina and detail.

A few miles away, the Hunting Magic Panel (shown below) reflects a different, though related, visual tradition. Located off EE-22 Road, this site features images carved on a large boulder just off a 4WD road crossing ridges of hills. Among its imagery are animal tracks (elk, deer), hand images (including some with six fingers), a bear paw connected by a line to human-hand forms, a depiction of a crane, and also a buffalo motif. There are nearby rock shelters that show sheltering and habitation marks; one has pictographs. The setting suggests that this spot may have played ritual or “hunting magic” functions for the people who carved it—perhaps invoking success in the hunt or linking human and animal worlds.

These panels are part of a broader network of petroglyphs and rock shelters in the Paradox Valley, many clustered near the Shaman and Hunting Magic sites. They collectively offer insight into pre‐historic life in the valley: hunting, ritual, symbolism, possibly communication with spiritual realms. Many of the panels show an affinity for large game tracks and evidence of ritual connections with animals. 

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Paradox, Colorado is a small unincorporated community in Montrose County, set in Paradox Valley, elevation about 5,299 feet. Its name comes from a curious observation by geologist Albert Charles Peale in 1875: the Dolores River behaves in a way contrary to expectation—it cuts straight across the valley, breaking through cliffs at nearly right angles rather than simply following the length of the valley. Hence the “paradox.”

Originally the home of the Ute people, the valley was opened to Euro-American settlement in the late 19th century. Ranching and small agricultural homesteads began in the 1870s; a post office was established in Paradox in 1882. Later, mining—first copper, then uranium—became central. The uranium boom made Paradox a “yellowcake” town (uranium ore processing), though the industry has waxed and waned.

Today, Paradox is small and remote, with under ~200 residents. Its quiet landscape belies a deep history carved into the stone. The rock art panels around Long Park are among the most visible and evocative reminders of that deeper past.

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Colorado Highway 90 runs west of Naturita, Colorado, to U.S. Highway 191 near La Sal, Utah. Upon crossing the state line, this becomes Utah Highway 46. The rock art panels described are 24-28 miles from the state line, in Colorado. Mileage shown in the chart below is to Paradox, CO, which is almost on the state line. 

Mileage to Paradox, CO
From Telluride, CO: 80 miles
 From Moab, UT: 54 miles

Critical Mileposts (Utah line is MP 0)
Hunting Magic Panel:  Turnoff at MP 24.3
Shaman Panel: Turnoff at MP 28.8

GPS Coordinates
GPS for Hunting Magic Panel: 38.20950, -108.65418
GPS for Shaman Panel: 38.26218, -108.70769

HIKE DETAILS 

Rated easy, these "trails" are mostly flat dirt roads that can be driven with a high-clearance 2WD vehicle. The main road into the Shaman Panel crosses a wash that requires 4WD, but you can park just before that and walk the rest of the way. I haven't attempted the other route into the Shaman Panel. Close any gates you open.

TOTAL DISTANCE
Less than 3 miles round trip from the farthest parking areas.

ELEVATION GAIN/LOSS
Varies, less than 100 ft.

EST. TIME REQUIRED
3 hours for all the panels

BEST TIME TO GO
Any. Hike early in the day to avoid summer heat.

FAMILY FRIENDLY
Yes

PET FRIENDLY
Yes. May be off-leash. Please pick up after your pet or bury any waste!

CAMPING
For those who want to linger longer, numerous dispersed campsites available for free on the BLM and Forest Service lands nearby. Some of these of excellent cell phone service. There are no established campgrounds or other amenities, but that’s part of the appeal. You can set up a tent or park a camper in established pullouts along all roads on public land, most notably on BLM EE-22, a graded gravel road that runs up the ridge behind the Shaman Panel.