For travelers drawn to desert beauty, ancient art, or the deep history of the American West, Nine Mile Canyon is a must-see. It’s not just a road trip - it’s a walk through time, a place where cliff walls are book pages, inscribed by the hands of artists from different eras.
Several years ago, Rhonda and I - along with our longtime neighbors and fellow explorers, Judy and Richard Martin - spent a couple of unforgettable days wandering through this remarkable canyon.
There are few places in the American West that rival Nine Mile Canyon for the sheer volume, beauty, and cultural depth of its rock art. Often called the “world’s longest outdoor art gallery,” this remote canyon in eastern Utah weaves together millennia of human history - from hunters and gatherers to pioneers - in its dramatic sandstone walls.
Located north of the town of Wellington, the canyon stretches for roughly 46 miles through a rugged expanse of public and private lands. Travelers reach it by following Soldier Creek Road northeast from Wellington, and can continue through Gate Canyon to exit near Myton if they choose to make a loop. Though remote, there are a few established pullouts, picnic areas, and restroom sites along the way.
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| Nine Mile Canyon |
Don’t think this is just a leisurely stroll, though. The canyon is filled with rock art - much of it unmarked - and finding the best of it takes a sharp eye and a willingness to scramble up cliffs. One surprising tip for those unusually steep, polished sandstone slopes: lose the shoes. Bare feet offer surprising grip and flexibility, honed over millions of years of evolution for exactly this kind of terrain. In a landscape shaped by ancient hands, sometimes ancient techniques are the best ones. I suppose it also provides a sole-ful connection with ancient souls.
Archaeologists estimate that Nine Mile Canyon contains more than 10,000 individual images and spans multiple cultures and eras, including Archaic hunter-gatherers, the Fremont people, and later Ute communities. Petroglyphs, pictographs, granaries, and historic structures appear throughout, creating an unusually dense archaeological record.
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| The Great Hunt Panel |
Among the many panels, The Great Hunt stands as the canyon’s most iconic - it’s one of those rock art panels that feels alive. Scholars believe it may depict a real late-autumn hunt, when bighorn sheep gather for the fall rut - one of the only times rams, ewes, and lambs would all be together.
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| The Great Hunt |
The large, horned figure at the top is classic Fremont style, while the hunters with bows are rendered more naturally in the style of Ute petroglyphs. The detail, balance, and preservation are remarkable, which is why The Great Hunt has appeared in so many books and artworks.
But standing there in person, you can almost feel the moment still unfolding, carved into stone nearly a thousand years ago.
Since we wanted more than a quick glimpse of Nine Mile Canyon, we set our sights on finding a place to camp on nearby public land. After a bit of wandering beneath shifting late afternoon skies and rain showers, a brilliant rainbow arched overhead - as if signaling that we’d found the perfect spot to settle in for the night.
After a night beneath a silent sky blazing with stars, full of dreams carried across millennia, we set out again to explore the cliffs, alcoves, and rock art scattered throughout this remarkable 46-mile canyon. The variety of styles, subjects, and time periods make Nine Mile Canyon not just an archaeological site, but a living gallery of human expression.
Beyond individual motifs, the canyon preserves village remains, granaries tucked into alcoves, pit structures, and more - giving a fuller picture of daily life and spiritual worldviews.
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| Nine Mile Canyon |
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| A secluded alcove, up on a cliff. |
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| Ancient Handprints |
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| Grinding Stones |
Traveling here comes with responsibility. The very things that make the canyon extraordinary - its rock art, its archaeological sites - are fragile. Preserving them requires care, awareness, and respect. I believe that visitors today can play an important role in protecting Nine Mile Canyon. Following existing roads and pullouts, avoiding contact with rock art, respecting private property, and practicing Leave No Trace ethics help ensure that the canyon’s extraordinary heritage endures.
For those willing to travel its long and dusty course, Nine Mile Canyon offers an unforgettable journey into Utah’s ancient past.
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| Nine Mile Canyon |
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| Canyon Life |
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| Testosterone Infused Hunt |
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