If you are cruising on north I-17 from Phoenix in Arizona, a leisurely 2.8 mile drive east on exit 298 takes you to a charming little visitor center (with friendly staff and stocked with useful books, maps and information), a large un-paved open parking space, a mobile caravan with satellite dish and an old chimney on the ground. That's the gateway for one of the largest Petroglyph sites in a region called Verde Valley in Arizona. Called the V-Bar-V Heritage site, it depicts the rock art of the prehistoric Sinaguas who occupied regions of Arizona between the 6th and 15th centuries.A short 0.4 mile stroll from the visitor center around the chimney and through the grassla
nds leads to the rock art site near the Beaver Creek area. The actual site with 1032 petroglyphs on 13 panels is in a nice shaded region. The style of rock art depicted on the red rocks is known as the Beaver style. It's a very distinctive art style noticed through various studies of rock art sites in the Beaver Creek area. This style is indicative of the Southern Sinagua between the ages of 1150 and 1400 AD. Some of the art work that can be seen here are that of animals, birds and reptiles. They are very clearly etched on the red rocks. A knowledgeable guide at the petroglyph spot takes time to educate and answer various queries of visitors. This historic site is open for visitors Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday from 9:30 am to 3 pm (Closed on certain holidays like Thanksgiving and Christmas).
