The rock walls of Lagomarsino Canyon, located north of Virginia City, contain some of the largest concentration of rock art found in Northern Nevada.
Sometimes you visit a place and get a vibe. It’s that sense that there is more going on than meets the eye. For example, it could be something you feel when exploring a Nevada ghost town that has only a handful of ruins still standing and knowing there’s so much more to its story.
At Lagomarsino Canyon, a petroglyph site located in a remote part of Storey County, that vibe is pretty strong. You sense something primal and almost mystical as you study its gray-brown walls covered with petroglyphs dating back thousands of years.
Standing at the bottom of the canyon and looking up at the uneven rocky ridge that runs along the north side, and seeing the petroglyphs for the first time, can be one of those moments of discovery that make exploring Nevada so worthwhile.
Centuries-old carvings of human stick figures, geometric shapes, animal symbols, circles and seemingly random lines and squiggles that even the most brilliant archaeologists have been unable to decipher peek from the dark, rock walls and challenge all to read them.
The volume of petroglyphs at Lagomarsino is most impressive. By some estimates, there are more than 2,000 rock art panels in the Lagomarsino site, which stretches more than about a quarter of a mile. Even more amazing is that they are believed to be as much as 10,000 years old.
Lagomarsino Canyon isn't easy to reach, which is good because it is such a precious place. The canyon is a designated historical archeological site so all care should be taken not to disturb anything in the area. It is against the law to damage or remove any of the petroglyphs.
The dirt road leading to the canyon is rutted, rough and rocky. A high-clearance four-wheel drive vehicle is the just about only way to make the journey.
While there are several ways to reach the canyon, one of the easiest methods is by driving to Virginia City. Continue north to the Virginia Highlands area and turn left on Cartwright Road. Drive for about three miles and turn north onto Lousetown Road.
Continue on Lousetown Road for about five miles. The road winds through foothills of sagebrush, junipers and piñon pine trees. It will begin to climb before turning east and dropping into another valley. Continue east for another mile or so, heading toward visible powerlines.
The road will reach an intersection with a north-south dirt road (this is Long Valley Road). Turn north and continue until you find the remains of a wrecked blue car. Continue north for a half-mile, then turn right (just before reaching a pink-colored car wreck). This road crosses a creek bed and leads into the canyon.
A steel fence runs across the mouth of the canyon and a turnout adjacent to the fence offers a good place to park since the road is nearly impassable beyond that point.
While the drive is a challenge, it’s a beautiful journey through some of Northern Nevada’s most scenic and unspoiled country.
For example, if you head south of Lagomarsino Canyon on Long Valley Road you can drive through the Chalk Mountains (visibly brown and dusty), which are popular with all-terrain-vehicle riders.
The road also passes scenic old homesteads including a place known as the Old Stone Corral or Cottonwood Springs, which makes for a nice shaded picnic or camping spot.
Long Valley is also home of dozens of wild horses. During a visit several years ago, we counted more than 50 mustangs, including several foals, grazing in the vicinity.
A good source of information, including directions, can be found at
https://allterrainfam.com/lagomarsino-petroglyph-overland-excursion/..
For information about the canyon, go to the Nevada Rock Art Foundation,
www.nvrockart.org/aan_pages/lc.html.
Rich Moreno writes about the places and people that make Nevada special.
