• Historic inscriptions carved in the bluff at El Morro.

    El Morro

    National Monument New Mexico

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  • Fire Restrictions now in effect!

    Stage 2 fire restrictions are now in effect. No smoking except within a vehicle, and no campfires or charcoal fires anywhere in the monument. Do your part: don't let a wildfire start! More »

Monitoring and Preservation

Image of park rangers monitoring a crack in Inscription Rock.

Park rangers monitor a crack in Inscription Rock.

NPS Photo

El Morro is an important link to the past and natural deterioration of that link is a concern. Even though the inscriptions on Inscription Rock are very old, dating back to the 1600's, and the petroglyphs are anywhere from 700-1000 years old, they will not be here forever.

The processes of erosion, weathering and plant growth all take their toll. Sand grains wear away, rocks crumble and fall, and lichens and clay deposits cover the historic carvings. Important inscriptions become illegible or fall from the face of the bluff. A part of the evidence of our heritage is crumbling away.

The National Park Service hopes to preserve this evidence for as long as possible by assessing, monitoring and treating the inscriptions and the rocks in which they are carved. Dowload our Monitoring and Preservation brochure (608k PDF file) to learn more about the projects underway at El Morro National Monument.
  • Inscription Preservation Inscription Preservation

    Saving 400-year-old inscriptions is all in a day's work! Read More

Did You Know?

Image of Governor Onate's inscription carved in 1605

The first inscription carved at El Morro was that of Governor Don Juan de Onate in 1605, 15 years before the pilgrims landed at Plymouth Rock.