Bloomington Petroglyph Park

Rock art on a residential street

Bloomington Petroglyph Park is about half an acre at the corner of Navajo Drive and Geronimo Road, in the middle of a St. George neighborhood. Two large boulders sit at its center, both covered in petroglyphs.

It exists because developers building the surrounding subdivision found the carved boulders and the site was preserved in place rather than cleared. That decision is why the panels can still be read where they were made.

What is carved there

The designs are attributed to Ancestral Puebloan or Fremont peoples, with some estimates placing them anywhere from roughly 300 to 1300 AD. Human figures, deer, turtles, spirals and abstract patterns all appear. What the abstract elements mean is unknown; interpretations range from route markers to records of events.

Why it is worth the stop

Almost every other rock art site in Washington County requires a dirt road, a hike, or both. This one has curbside parking and takes ten minutes. If you are curious about the region's archaeology and short on time, start here and go to the Anasazi Valley petroglyphs when you have a morning.

Do not touch

Damaging rock art is illegal, including accidentally. Skin oils degrade the surface, so keep hands off the panels and off the boulders.

Worth reading alongside this: historic sites in St. George and free things to do in St. George.