The Parowan Gap

The Parley Pratt Expedition discovered the petroglyphs at Parowan Gap in 1849. The pass is a classic example of a wind gap, an unusual geological landform marking where an ancient river cut a 600-foot-deep notch through the mountain. Native Americans used this ancient gap for thousands of years to provide easy passage through the Red Hills.


Parowan Gap is an amazing calendar place, a naturally occuring gap that tracks the sun and the moon.
solar and lunar events


At the east entrance of the Parowan gap narrows are two small caves. They both contain petroglyphs. Soot on their ceilings, from torches or fires, indicate they were once inhabited by Indians. Carbon dating has shown that the caves were in use from 3000 to 400 BC. The following pictures shows the entrance to the larger of the two caves and the petroglyphs inside.




The Gap