Overview

The Mt. Irish Archeological District is a large area with many boulder piles and bands of low cliffs covered with petroglyphs. Shaman Hill is the largest of the public petroglyph sites in the district and consists of many boulders and rock outcrops on the east end of a ridge (which appears to be an isolated hill when looking west). Native peoples etched an extensive array of petroglyphs into the rocks here. The BLM placed eight numbered markers around the site, and the BLM and Lincoln County each produced brochures describing the numbered petroglyph panels (BLM brochure; Lincoln County brochure).

The parking area between Shaman Knob and Shaman Hill is one of the better campsites in the area (see Shaman Knob).

While visiting this site, please take care of the area and leave it as you found it for the enjoyment of future generations.

Link to Site Map.

Location

The Mt. Irish Archeological District is located in the Pahranagat Valley, about 110 miles north of Las Vegas. Details of the location, access routes, and GPS coordinates are presented on the Mt. Irish Archeological District page.

The Hike

The Shaman Hill sign-in register (Table 1, Site SH-Register) is adjacent to the parking area, and from the register, Marker #1 (Site SH-01) and Marker #2 (Site SH-02) are against the hill directly behind the register. Marker #1 is visible from the register, and Marker #2 is behind a big juniper tree to the right. Marker #3 (Site SH-03), Marker #4 (Site SH-04), and Marker #5 (Site SH-05) are off to the right along the base of the hill. For details, see Northbound Trail. Marker #6 (Site SH-06), Marker #7 (Site SH-07), and Marker #8 (Site SH-08) are along the base of the hill to the left. See Southbound Trail for details. All numbered markers are at ground level. For Marker #5, the petroglyph panel is visible from the marker, but the petroglyph is on a large boulder up the hillside. Bring binocular or hiking boots.