Saturday & SUNDAY | April 11 & 12, 2026
Rock Art Road Trip: Buckhorn DRAW
Saturday: Diana & Steve Acerson
Sunday: Geoff Smith
Spend the day in the extraordinary canyons and ravines of the San Rafael Swell in search of former cultures. Rock art in the Swell was created over thousands of years by Indigenous peoples, most prominently Archaic hunter-gatherers and later Fremont groups, who left enduring cultural marks on the canyon walls. The older Archaic panels often feature abstract forms, pecked dots, and atlatl imagery, while Fremont rock art is known for distinctive trapezoidal human figures, elaborate headdresses, and associations with agricultural lifeways.
We’ll drive a 122 mile loop, stopping at numerous rock art panels including the Silent Sentinel, the Daisy Chain, and the world famous Buckhorn Panel. Together, these panels record shifts in technology, subsistence, and worldview, making the Swell one of the most important rock art concentrations on the Colorado Plateau.
This full-day trip is excellent for anyone who loves scenic dirt road driving and has a desire to see a variety of rock art within the San Rafael Swell. Prepare to stop often for short hikes to rock art panels. Hikes are short, however a few may be slippery or steep.
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Participants must drive their own vehicles.
Some clearance recommended for patches of rough road along the way.
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Full tank of gas.
Lunch, water, sturdy shoes, binoculars, camera, and snacks.
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Geoff Smith
Castle Valley Archaeological SocietyGeoff Smith is a past president and current active member of Castle Valley Archaeological Society. Geoff is a 5th generation Emery County resident and currently serves as an advanced EMT for Emery County.
Diana & Steve Acerson
Utah Rock Art Research Association
Diana and Steve Acerson have been active in the preservation and protection of cultural sites with the Utah Rock Art Research Association (URARA) for the last 14 years.
Diana is a conservationist and artist, and Steven has been interested in rock art sites since he was raised in Green River, after his father moved the family there to help his grandfather mine for uranium.
Many decades of exploring the region have given them a love of the landscape and the peoples who once lived here.
Diana and Steve have been active in many projects with URARA, land managers, and private landowners that have resulted in the preservation of important rock art sites.
They are passionate about building public awareness to preserve these important and irreplaceable cultural resources.
Left: hiking along the San Rafael River. Right: the iconic Buckhorn Wash pictograph panel. Photos by Alison Jean Cole.