An ancestral Puebloan pot recovered near Tower Ruin in the Needles District. People have visited what is now Canyonlands National Park for over 10,000 years. Over time, many different groups have moved in and out of the area in concert with the availability of natural resources and the technology for exploiting those resources.
Cultural sites and artifacts are irreplaceable. Please observe the following guidelines when visiting sites in Canyonlands and other National Parks. View sites from a distance. Ancient walls crumble easily. Never enter structures or human-made enclosures as your movements may damage the foundation or other structural elements.
Leave things where they lie. Resist the temptation to collect artifacts and allow future visitors the joy of discovery. Also, archeologists can determine a great deal from the presence and location of artifacts. Enjoy rock art with your eyes only. Pictographs and petroglyphs should not be touched as the oils in human skin will destroy them. Never spoil cultural sites or natural features with modern graffiti.
