Hospital Rock Pictographs

Hospital Rock

NPS / Kirke Wrench

Quick Facts

Amenities

2 listed

Audio Description, Parking - Auto

Note, this is a sacred area, please be respectful.

By working with local Native Americans, we've learned the pictographs at Hospital Rock are sacred to their communities. They are part of their traditional belief systems, and as important as any place of worship. Do not touch or mark on the pictographs or rocks here. If you see someone vandalizing this area, please let a park ranger know right away.

Hundreds of years ago, people who came here drew these pictographs. Their meaning is unknown, but local tribal members explain that they serve as a history for the people who once lived here, and are a reminder of how important this place is to them today.

This area once hosted a village of hundreds of people from the Mono (Monache), Yokuts, and the Tubatulabal tribes. The tribes who once lived here are no longer in the park, but they live in nearby communities and actively continue to honor past traditions. 

Safety and Accessibility

The area around the pictographs, while flat, is bound by two roads—beware of traffic approaching with limited visibility. Access to the pictographs viewing platform is via a set of short, steep stairs. For those with limited mobility, the pictograph can be seen from the parking lot across the street with binoculars. The Hospital Rock Picnic Area across the street from this features offers many services, including parking, restrooms, and trash/recycling bins.