Seminole Canyon, An American Gem

Stories in stone. Early canyon dwellers left clues to their lives on the stone walls of Seminole Canyon. It is a rugged terrain with hiking, biking and caves to explore. The largest of the caves, Fate Bell Shelter is only accessible on guided tours twice a day with the Park Rangers. 

It is estimated the humans began to inhabit the area about 10,000 years ago. It was the Holocene era when Mammoth animals would have also inhabited the area. The vegetation was denser and a richer variety to support  the life of the area.

The Visitor Center

The Fate Bell Shelter, a cave below the Visitor Center is  named after the man that owned the property. There is another noteworthy cave called the Panther Cave in Seminole Canyon. It is called that  because of its drawings. Visitors can only get there by boat, and with a guide. We didn’t get there to see it, but I heard it is spectacular.

The ranger talking about the art in the cave. They don’t allow people out her on their own to protect the art from being vandalized. 

A view from the cave

The caves can be formed by wind or water carving their path over time.

One of the important characteristics of this art is the use of colors in their drawings

Looks like a deep fryer

Looks like a bug

These are bones of prehistoric fish left in the rock
One of the things I always love are the cacti. They look so different to us, beautiful but untouchable.

Color in the desert

Growing a bloom

Spike Moss

Like little worms.


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More Spike moss. Beautiful around the rocks.

This was an oven used by the Southern Pacific railroad workers passing through Texas on their way out west. The railroad made shipping of livestock to market easier for ranchers than herding. They raised sheep, cattle and goats. Also the railroad allowed ranchers to get the needed supplies to fence in their ranches with barbed wire and windmills for water. Technology was coming even then.

Fire heated the rocks the food was placed on the rocks and under rocks to cook. Sometimes it took days. Kind of like a Dutch oven.

Roots, grains and berries were crushed in these depressions made in the rocks.

These are more cooking spots in the caves

The Maker of the Peace. Once a day the sun lines up with the circle in his staff and casts a beam on the ground. This circle represents eternity, infinity, and the circle of life in the universe. He has the head of a deer, a fisherman’s line,and a spear in his hands. That is also a snake around his shoulders. The bird is the wise look out and the human soul.

It is a seventeen foot high bronze statue created by Bill Worrell. The deerskin cape symbolizes spiritual leadership while the antlers represent wisdom, regeneration, and maturity. The limestone base represents the rock shelters in which the people dwelled.

Why does a golfer wear two pairs of pants?

In case he gets a hole in one. 

Yuck, yuck.

Hope all is well and we are really enjoying the warmer weather. We do miss you. 

God Bless America.