by Alex Gugel , all rights reserved
Trail GuidesRoadside Ruin |
Trail guide of Roadside Ruin Trail in the Needles District of Canyonlands National Park (NP). Published by Canyonlands Natural History Association.
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corncobs, gourd shells, and foodstuffs, but
artifacts are gone. Long ago rodents ate the
contents of most structures, or looters took
them away. Usually all we see in structures
today are thick deposits of packrat droppings.
If you find any archeological or historical
objects, leave them in place. Removing,
damaging, or even moving an artifact
destroys a site’s scientific value for future
archeologists. It also deprives other visitors
of the enjoyment of seeing the
objects on site.
7 Narrow-leaved
yucca
(Yucca
angustissima)
Tribes use almost
every part of
this common
plant. The
sharp spines
on the leaf
tips serve as needles.
Leaf fibers can be made into
cord and rope and woven into sandals and
mats. The flowers and fruits can be eaten. The
roots yield saponin, a substance used as soap.
9
Pinyon (Pinus edulis)
The cones of this pine
contain tasty, proteinrich seeds
which have
been an
important
food for
the human
inhabitants of
this area as well as for
birds and rodents. They
can be eaten raw or roasted.
Roadside
Ruin
T R A I L
G U I D E
cactus (Opuntia sp.)
10 Pricklypear
This cactus bears a sweet, juicy, edible
fruit. The pads can be eaten after being
roasted and scraped to
remove the spines.
For medicinal use,
compresses are made
by splitting a cactus
pad and applying
the cut surface
to a wound.
8 Utah juniper (Juniperus osteosperma) The
soft, fibrous bark of this tree provided diapers
and cradleboard padding. The berries can
be made into tea for medicinal
purposes, or pierced and
strung as beads.
National Park Service
U.S. Department of the Interior
Canyonlands National Park
2282 SW Resource Blvd.
Moab, UT 84532
Published by Canyonlands Natural History Association
Printed on recycled paper
10/18 2.1m
EXPERIENCE YOUR AMERICA
0.3 mile (.5km)
THE NEEDLES DISTRICT
CANYONLANDS NATIONAL PARK
Who Lived Here?
Around 950 ce (Common Era), ancestral
Puebloan populations around Mesa Verde
and Fremont communities to the north were
growing. Emigration into the Canyonlands
area increased. Both groups were farmers,
seeking locations that provided water, arable
land, building sites, and a variety of wild
plants. One of those productive locations was
the nearby Salt Creek drainage.
The ancestral Puebloans practiced full-time
farming, but the Fremont split their time
between farming and foraging. They raised
corn, beans, squash, and cotton and gathered
seeds, roots, and fruits. They also hunted deer
and bighorn sheep and trapped or snared
small animals and birds.
Climate change and regional droughts in the
late 1200s made farming difficult. By the end
of the century most farmers had emigrated
south to what is now New Mexico and
Arizona. They joined other groups that would
become the Hopi and Zuni tribes. Others
stayed and adapted to the colder climate by
relying on wild plant gathering. These groups
would become local Ute and Paiute tribes.
Though a later visitor named this place
“Ruin,” today’s tribes would not use that
word. They say their ancestors in the spiritual
world continue to use this place.
This ⅓-mile (0.5 km) loop leads to a typical
ancestral Puebloan-era structure. Few in the
park are in as good condition as this one.
Along the way you will see native plants which
people used to meet their daily needs. They
will help acquaint you with the way of life of
the early inhabitants of this area.
Trail Guide
Follow the Numbered Posts
1 Indian ricegrass
(Stipa hymenoides)
The seeds have
excellent food value
and were gathered
in quantity, parched,
and ground into
meal.
2 Peppergrass
(Lepidium montanum)
The delicate
clusters of
white flowers
ripen into
disklike
seeds with a hot, peppery taste.
Tribes grind these seeds to use as
a spice. The Navajo also use
peppergrass for medicinal purposes.
3 Big sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata) This
is one of several species of sage found in this
area. The plant furnishes a light yellow dye.
The fibrous bark
can be pounded
and twisted into
weak cordage. Other
species of sage can be
used for seasoning,
medicine, and tea.
4 Fremont barberry
(Mahonia
fremontii)
The Hopi
extract a
bright
yellow dye from
the roots of this shrub. The
wood is suitable for making
various tools. The bright yellow
flowers ripen into edible berries.
5 Four-wing saltbush
(Atriplex canescens) The
seeds of this shrub are used
as food; the ashes are used as
baking powder.
6
Structures
like this could
have held corn,
seeds, and nuts, or
they could have been storage for ceremonial
items used for religious practice. In these
cases, they are often well hidden or located in
almost inaccessible places.
Please do not climb on this
structure or disturb it in any
way. The mortar is very fragile
and even touching it will hasten
its collapse.
The small,
rectangular
doors were
covered
with slabs of
rock. This
structure’s
door is on the
roof. Some
structures
still contain