Download free topo maps of Petroglyph National Monument. Use the adjoining 7.5 minute quadrangle legend to locate the New Mexico maps you need.
Petroglyph National Monument located near Albuquerque, New Mexico was created to protect an area that includes inactive volcanoes, and hundreds of archeological sites containing many thousands of petroglyphs. It is estimated that over ninety-percent of these images carved into the rock were made by the ancestors of the Pueblo Indians, who have lived in the Rio Grande Valley for over fifteen-hundred years. The carvings represent animals, people and symbols, with meanings ranging from simple to esoteric, some understood only by the carver. While following the trails to volcanoes and petroglyphs, be certain to take notice of the desert ecosystem and the diversity of flora and fauna which have adapted to the arid environment. A stop at the Visitor Center relates the history of the building, used by an anthropologist whose home appropriately hosted tribal and federal representatives. During the summer months special programs include demonstrations by local native artisans.