Kohta Circus
Petroglyphs
The cultural
landscape of the Whitney Pockets area is as rich and colorful as the sandstones
that break from the desert floor at the landing of Virgin Mountains. It is
within these sandstone outcroppings where some of the first known inhabitants
recorded their story in rock carvings known as petroglyphs.
The Luke
Whitney Petroglyphs which include Falling Man are some of the most accessible
petroglyphs in the Gold Butte region. Just a short distance off the old Gold
Butte Road, down a rough and rocky road one can be surrounded by the carvings
etched upon the red sandstone canvas. For the back country rambler who is
willing to lace up their boots and wade farther back into the sea of sandstone,
there holds even more portrayals from prehistoric people. Hidden within an
arroyo at the head of Hartman Tank is the petroglyph site known as Kohta Circus
is.
To find the
Kohta Circus Petroglyphs first go to the Luke Whitney Petroglyphs also known as
Falling Man. Once you get to the trailhead of Falling Man you will see a road
that heads to the west continuing on down towards Black Butte and Bitter Ridge.
You continue on down this road for about two miles. This road is not maintained
in any fashion however most high clearance vehicles, with an experienced driver
at the wheel, should be able to pass without the need for four-wheel drive. As
you start to head more south and start to round Black Butte you will see a
trailhead off the east side of the road as the road starts to climb up out of
the wash and onto Bitter Ridge. The trailhead is for the Kohta Circus
Petroglyphs hike.
Once you get
to the trailhead it’s hiking from here on out. Leaving the trailhead you will
get into the nearby wash and head in a southerly and slight easterly direction.
The trail at this point is quite defined. You are only in the wash for about a
quarter of a mile or so. Once out of the wash the trail heads in a steady
southern course for approximately 1.5 miles. The trail is pretty well defined and is fairly
easy to follow for the experienced back country rambler. The only place where
it is hard to follow is when the trail crosses over the sandstone outcroppings but
at these locations previous hikers have stacked cairns to mark the trail. The
trail to Kohta Circus Petroglyphs is a mixture of walking in the rocky wash
bottoms, patches of sand as well as crossing sandstone outcroppings.
Once you get
near the Kohta Circus Petroglyphs site you will dump off the plateau into a
drainage basin that is the beginning of the Hartman Tank which eventually dumps
into Mud Wash. There is a defined trail leading down into the basin area.
The main
petroglyph panel is one of the larger continuous panels that I have seen in
Clark County, Nevada. I have heard that they call it the Circus panel because
of all the depictions of animals. There are carvings of sheep, deer, turtles
and many kinds of tracks and things I could only guess at. One of my favorite etchings is of a man
hunting a sheep with his bow as well as a pretty healthy looking deer.
I love the
desert as it requires one to appreciate the innate power of nature that has
shaped this rugged landscape. As I start down a simple sandy wash and walk down
a growing chasm carved into the desert floor, countless centuries of work
unfold before my eyes. The rising walls
about me stand as evidence of the epic floods that have carved their story into
hills and valleys. One cannot help but to marvel at the smooth pathways worn
into the stone on a typically dry desert day and help but to imagine the
individual drops of each storm that has passed to weary these rocks into
submission. Within these desert canyon walls time eludes all logic.
The few
small slot canyons found within the vicinity of the Kohta Circus petroglyphs
aren’t huge but are a great complement to the back country ramble. The chance to be immersed in the churn of colors
unearthed within Mother Nature palate is well worth the effort.
One thing to
keep in mind when visiting Kohta Circus Petroglyphs or any back country
destinations within the Gold Butte region is the time of the year to visit. The
temperatures in the desert here regularly climb over 100 degrees F. in the
months of June through September. The
Kohta Circus Petroglyphs are found within a drainage system so if it has been
raining or is raining it would be a good idea to get to higher ground. Also the
wash that you walk down and cross under Black Butte drains a lot of country so
make sure you are able to get back to camp before the water starts flowing down
that wash. Don’t cross the wash is there is water running down. A quick thunder
burst in the desert can drop a lot of water in a short period of time and you
don’t want to get caught in it. Wait for the water to subside before crossing
any wash.
When visiting
areas of cultural significance please pay extra attention to ensuring this area
is well-looked-after. It is up to each of us as individuals to ensure these
areas a cleaned up and unharmed. Please don’t write on the rocks anywhere near
any petroglyph sites.
Vicinity
destinations
Luke Whitney
Petroglyphs, Whitney Pockets, Gold Butte Back Country Byway
