Carrizo Canyon is a creek-fed canyon with old rock carvings

The Carrizo Unit of the Comanche National Grassland takes its name from Carrizo Creek, and one of the prettiest places to see why is Carrizo Canyon. Here the east fork of the creek slips through a small canyon shaded by juniper and cottonwood, a green seam in the dry Baca County plains.

Like its neighbor Picture Canyon, Carrizo Canyon carries marks from people who lived here long before fences and county roads. Petroglyphs, figures carved into the rock, appear along the canyon walls. They are part of a long human story on these plains and are worth a slow, quiet look.

Those carvings are also fragile and legally protected. Archaeological sites on public land are covered by federal law, so touching, chalking, tracing, or collecting anything is not allowed. The simple rule is to look and photograph but leave no mark, so the canyon stays whole for the next person.

This is remote country. Water is scarce, shade is limited away from the creek, and the roads can be rough or muddy after a storm. Plan for a self-sufficient day and tell someone your route.

For current trail and access information, and to learn what is documented about the rock art, start with the Forest Service office in Springfield that manages the Carrizo Unit.