Pets allowed
Allowed
Elevation Gain
230.00 ft (70.10 m)
Trail type
There-and-back
Distance
1.60 mi (2.57 km)
Please respect the outdoors by practicing Leave No Trace. Learn more about how to apply the principles of Leave No Trace on your next outdoor adventure here.

Griffith Canyon is an approximately 2 mile out-and-back hike north of Reno that leads to several galleries of petroglyphs. While there are several trails in the area leading to petroglyphs, the Griffith Canyon trail is the easiest route to see the displays of native art. The trail is unmarked, but is known and moderately trafficked, so reaching the petroglyphs should be no issue for those with moderate hiking abilities.

Parking is along a pullout on a hairpin curve on Pyrenees Drive in Spanish Springs. A faint footpath is visible directly across the road, where it descends into the canyon wash. The path is rough and sometimes features jagged rock at the creek bottom, which is dry most of the year. The first petroglyph galleries can be seen about a third of a mile down the canyon, with several examples lining the canyon on flat rock surfaces. 

The best petroglyphs are reached about 0.75 mile down the canyon, where drawings cover most of the surface of a 12-foot stone slab. Beyond these walls, the canyon opens up, and while it can be walked farther, there are little features of note as the creekbed continues toward the rural edge of the Spanish Springs developments. There are no amenities or signs of any kind. Hikers should be prepared for a primitive hiking route down a mostly shadeless path.

Logistics + Planning

Preferable season(s)

Spring
Fall

Congestion

Low

Parking Pass

None

Open Year-round

Yes

Pros

Amazing collection of petroglyphs.

Cons

No shade.

Trailhead Elevation

5,360.00 ft (1,633.73 m)

Highest point

5,360.00 ft (1,633.73 m)

Features

Historically significant
Native artifacts
Wildflowers

Typically multi-day

No

Permit required

No

Location

Nearby Lodging + Camping

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