Exploring ancient petroglyph sites is a great way to inspire young children to ask questions about the ancient peoples who left these clues of their culture behind. Children can wonder who lived here long ago and when they lived in this area, as well as why they left behind these markings. Preschoolers are great at asking questions, so we can at least give them something cultural to ask questions about!
Often, petroglyph sites are in places that require a good amount of hiking and aren’t suitable for little legs, but the Petroglyph National Monument in Albuquerque is easily accessible with minimal hiking. That’s great news for parents who want to ease their kids into small hikes and explore ancient cultures without having to worry about wearing them out.
Top Tips for Visiting Petroglyph National Monument with Preschoolers
- Know where you are going and don’t rely on your GPS.There are five sites that are marked as part of the Petroglyph National Monument, four trails and a Visitor’s Center. Only three of the trails have petroglyphs and none of the trails are accessible from the Visitor’s Center. If you trust your GPS to take you, you may end up on the Volcano Day Area, which is great for viewing extinct volcanoes, but has no petroglyphs. Likewise, you might find your way to the Visitor’s Center, where you can get a map and watch a short movie, but again, you won’t see any petroglyphs.
- Skip the Visitor Center. If you are short on time, and you follow the tip above, there is really no need for the Visitor’s Center. It is a good distance from any one of the sites where you can see petroglyphs, so it can be a bust if the kids are excited to see the goods and they don’t see them at the first stop. Do stop at the Visitor’s Center if you want to grab a map to be sure you are headed in the right direction.
- Be prepared. The amenities vary from trail to trail, so take care of water and restrooms before your hit the trailhead. Likewise, the sun is warm and there is almost no shade, so plan for early morning/late evening if the weather is warm and make sure you have plenty of sunscreen. Most of the trails are quite sandy, so pick the right kind of shoes, especially for little feet. Sandals or any kind of open toe shoe is not going to be ideal.
- Pick the Right Path. There are three trails that have easy viewing of the Petroglyphs, but they are not all created equal. Boca Negra is the shortest, but has the lowest number of petroglyphs at only 100 and requires an entrance fee of $1-2. On the plus side, Boca Negra does have restroom facilities. Rinconada Canyon has a good concentration of petroglyphs at 300, but is a longer trail at 2.2 miles and many of the petroglyphs require binoculars to see them well. If you want the most bang for your buck, pick Piedras Marcadas, for a short 1.5 mile loop that puts you up close with 300 petroglyphs. Plus, the trailhead is right across the street from Sonic, so you can encourage little ones to finish the hike strong and reward them with an ice cream cone.