3 hours (approx.)
Daily Tour
7 people
English
Arizona has such a rich history, but if you don’t know about it, it can be hard to keep the stories straight when you’re exploring. Travel by off-road vehicle to both Little Black Mountain Petroglyph Site and Glitter Mountain all in one day with a guide who knows the India petroglyph stories, as well as early settler tales. Plus, this small-group tour keeps numbers low so you can ask questions, too.
We will meet at the location off River Rd. and Southern Pkwy. Begin your experience by buckling into our off road side x side which has been built specifically for off-road tours. Your tour guide will take up to 7 travelers on a journey down an old dirt trail that has been used by Indian cultures and early settlers for thousands of years.
Our first stop will be at the Little Black Mountain Petroglyph Site. Here, you will witness first hand expressions of tradition and lore carved into stone. Religious tradition, hunting maps and stories of life are carved into these boulders that span some 8,000 years and several cultures. This is a short walk into this well preserved archeological preserve that gives you a taste of the past. Here you can try to figure out the meaning of some of these simple and sometimes detailed markings. This is a good place to photograph ancient art.
45 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
After leaving the Little Black Mountain Petroglyph Site, we will travel deeper into the back country. Over the years, there have been many travelers here. Even today, much of this land is used to graze livestock. You will see evidence of mining in the nearby hills. This land is rich in minerals including gold, silver, platinum and more commonly, gypsum.
Gypsum is mined in parts of Utah, Arizona, Nevada and California. At Glitter Mountain, an open gypsum mine is available to the public. Pieces of gypsum scattered across the mounds of dirt “glitters” in the sunlight, hence “Glitter Mountain”. Here you can find your own special piece of glitter and keep it as a souvenir.
45 minutes • Admission Ticket Free