Join Us for a Special National Public Lands Day Event!

Gunnison Gorge National Conservation area will host a special National Public Lands Day event on Saturday, October 4, 2008.  Join us for a day of public service and learning at the Lawhead Gulch Rock Art Site.

Lawhead Gulch Rock Art Site preserves inscriptions over a 4,000 year span, representing cultures from Late Archaic through historic Ute.  Projects for the day include trail building, fence construction and site cleanup.  Archaeologists are actively conducting research into the history of the site.  As an added benefit to those joining us for this event, professional archaeologists will be on hand to help with the work and discuss ongoing research at the site. 

Driving Directions

Lawhead Gulch Road runs south off of Hwy 92 at about mile marker 12.3 (1.5 miles west of the big Gunnison Gorge sign at the Gunnison Forks/Pleasure Park turnoff).  We will have signs at the junction of Lawhead Gulch Road and Highway 92.  Plan to meet at 9:00 a.m. at the "low-clearance" parking area just after you turn off the highway as shown on the detail map below.  Lawhead Gulch Road is an unimproved dirt road.  High clearance is recommended to get all the way to the staging area, but don't let that stop you -- we will shuttle people down the road as needed. 

Boating Directions

The site is accessible to boaters wishing to join us as well.  From The Forks/Pleasure Park put-in, it is roughly 4.25 river miles to the Lawhead Gulch site.  As you approach the site you will navigate through the Relief Ditch diversion.  About 100 yards after the diversion, beach your boats on river right on a broad flood-plain.  Walk about 0.1 mile toward the cliffs through a clearing in the tamarisk thicket, just to the right (east) of the mouth of Lawhead Gulch.  As you approach the site, you should find a constructed trail leading up to the terrace and the rock art site.  Work crews should be on site by about 10:00 a.m.

Wear sunscreen, hat, sturdy shoes, work clothes and bring work gloves if you have them.  Lunch will be provided, during which archaeologists will discuss their work at the site.   We'll plan on wrapping up for the day at around 2:00 p.m.  Should be a great day of outdoor work and fun!

For more information contact Edd Franz or Glade Hadden at 970-240-5300, or email Edd_Franz@blm.gov.

Weather Update

The National Weather Service is calling for 60% chance of rain on Saturday.  Since the access road to the site is unimproved dirt/clay, we will not drive on it if it is wet.  The rain is not expected to begin until afternoon, so hopefully we'll be able to complete our work before the rain starts.  If, however, the road is wet in the morning, we will cancel the event.  BLM staff will be on site in the morning to make the decision and relay information to volunteers.

Regional Map

Detail Map