Pictographs
The historical sites on the map in Sequoia are heavily European American. The greatest help to us comes from a book entitled Indians of Sequoia and Kings Canyon by A. B. Elsasser. It details discoveries and artifacts. It also includes a map of artifact sites, including pictograph sites, bedrock mortars, campsites and villages. If you have the opportunity to come across petroglyphs or artifacts, please respect the ancient sites by leaving them as you found them.
Hospital Rock
This is the easiest site to get to. It is at a picnic area and is marked as 'Hospital Rock' on the park map that you receive when you pay admission. Though many people visit this site, it amazingly remains untouched by vandalism. It is a small site, but it might be all that anyone will ever see of Native American history in the park.
Other Areas
Pictographs exist at the following locations in the park:
- Intersection of Marble Fork Kaweah River and Middle Fork Kaweah River (2 sites)
- Kern River Canyon near Coyote Pass
- Tehipite Valley
Mortar Holes
Look for Mortar Holes near oak trees. This is where they ground the acorns and then bathed them to get rid of the toxins.
Hospital Rock
These holes are found near the pictographs at Hospital Rock. We walked towards the river and found them.
Other Areas
There are too many areas to list for locations of Mortar Holes. Some of the places are included in the long list:
- General Grant Grove (2 sites)
- Cedar Grove (5 sites)
- Giant Forest (5 sites)