Embark on winter hiking at the La Cieneguilla petroglyph site
The signature of history is always present in the landscape of New Mexico. The La Cieneguilla petroglyph site contains hundreds of rock carvings left by local pueblo peoples and travelers as they passed the rock volcanic cliffs of La Bajada near Santa Fe.
Rock carvings
When visiting today, a wide variety of images can be seen. Although the meanings are not known for sure, some petroglyphs resemble animals and humans. Some look like handprints. Abstract images, such as spirals, mazes and lines, that may indicate journeys and rivers are found here, too. Some of the most common motifs include birds, sometimes stacked on top of each other, and humpback flute players.
Merrill Dicks, archaeologist with the Taos Bureau of Land Management (BLM) office, which manages the area, says, “There are a couple of reasons that there may be so many petroglyphs located in one area. There were very large prehistoric and historic pueblos in this area. It was also a major travel corridor for thousands of years. The Camino Real passed through this section during the Spanish colonial period.”
Dicks says the style of petroglyph and images helps date the symbols to between the 13th and 17th centuries. According to the BLM, most of the symbols were left by Keresan-speaking pueblo people. The descendants of these people live along the Río Grande at Cochiti and Santa Domingo pueblos.
Spanish colonial era
There are also symbols typically associated with Spanish explorers, such as hearts and crosses. The Camino Real de Tierra Adentro (Royal Road of the Interior Land) stretched for 1,600 miles between Mexico City and New Mexico from 1598 to 1882. The traditional ending is the San Juan Pueblo, (now known by its pre-Spanish name, Ohkay Owingeh), but a spur of the trail came as far north as Taos.
The Camino Real followed trails long used by the pueblo people who lived in the area.
The hike (and snakes)
From the trailhead, a short, flat walk below the cliff and through a fence leads to a moderate climb up to the base of the black volcanic wall. The round trip covers just more than a mile to the site, although you can walk a long way to the south along the base of the cliffs to see more petroglyphs. The elevation change is about 100 feet from the trailhead up to the start of the rock wall.
With the recent warm weather, there may be snakes active in the area. On a recent visit, there was a large reddish coachwhip snake sunning itself on the trail. James Stuart with the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish says that the coachwhip is a species of whipsnake, which is not venomous.
“They are called coachwhips because they look like a long, braided whip. The populations in the Santa Fe area tend to be salmon or pinkish [in] color,” said Stuart. “Elsewhere in New Mexico, they can be tan, yellowish or grayish. The reddish populations seen in parts of the West are often called ‘red racers.’ These are the really long and fast-moving snakes you may see crossing a highway in the heat of the day during summer. It seems like a really late date for this or most any snake to be out, but then it has been warm and the black basalt rocks probably retain a lot of heat,” he said.
Stuart added that there may also be rattlesnakes in the area, so if you are there on a warm day, watch your step.
History of the mesa
From the plateau above the cliff, there are views southwest across the Santa Fe River to the Las Tetillitas and other mountains. The original Route 66 passed through Santa Fe and across this mesa between 1926 and 1933.
The federal highway system that was established in 1926 was originally a joining together of existing roadways, according to a report prepared for the New Mexico Historic Preservation Division.
As engineers sought to make the road alignment safer and more efficient, the locations changed. By 1933, Route 66 had moved southward and was miles away from Santa Fe. The reason for the change may have been for efficiency – or it might have been the revenge of a governor who lost his bid for re-election.
Petroglyph protection
The petroglyphs are recognized as an important cultural resource. Please do not climb on or touch the images to help ensure that these fragile reminders of the past can be preserved.
Directions
From Taos Plaza: Drive south toward Santa Fe on Paseo del Pueblo (U.S. 68). Continue on through Española, where the road becomes U.S. 285 S/U.S. 84 E. As you approach Santa Fe, take exit 166 to join the Relief Route, also known as N.M. 599. Drive 10 miles south to Airport Road. Turn right and go about 3.3 miles. There is a BLM sign and gravel parking lot on the right.
Brown is the author of the “Taos Hiking Guide,” winner of the 2016 New Mexico-Arizona book award for sports and recreation. The guide is available at local retailers and through nighthawkpress.com. Reach Brown at cindybrowntaos2010@yahoo.com.
