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SnowshoeingHolly Ruins to Petroglyph Panel
Tilted Tower and
Solstice Petroglyphs
Featured Route
This short route leads around multiple structures and dead-ends at the Holly Petroglyph Panel. The trail is primitive and crosses slickrock and packed dirt as it winds around the head of the canyon. The trail provides views from several angles of Holly Tower in the canyon and Holly House on the canyon rim. Take a few extra moments along the trail and see if you can spot the remains of other structures in and around the canyon.
At the trail’s end, look out and slightly down to see the petroglyph panel underneath an overhang. We believe the panel marks the summer solstice. A diagram in the trail register box shows where the petroglyphs are located.
- Hiking
- Out & Back
- Kid-Friendly
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Timeline
1
4WD or at least high clearance is recommended to reach the trailhead. Always check with the visitor center for conditions.
2
The multi-story pueblo called Tilted Tower is the first that will start to come into view. It was built atop a large sandstone boulder that shifted sometime after the canyon was abandoned (1300 CE). The upper stories of the tower tumbled into the canyon while the footing remained attached.
The Holly Group is named for Jim Holley who ranched and traded in this area during the late 1800s. Holly Site includes Holly House, Tilted Tower and Holly Tower, located at the head of Keeley Canyon.
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For 399ft
Take the left fork of the trail to the Petroglyph View, where you’ll reach a spot that affords a view underneath an overhanging rock above the solstice panel.
3
This panel is believed to mark the summer solstice, precisely when light intersects with its depicted spirals and sun.
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