Petroglyphs National Monument protects one of the largest petroglyph sites in North America, featuring designs and symbols carved onto volcanic rocks by Native Americans and Spanish settlers 400 to 700 years ago. These images are a valuable record of cultural expression and hold profound spiritual significance for contemporary Native Americans and for the descendants of the early Spanish settlers.  This picture was taken on the Macaw Trail.  The Macaw Trail is the shortest and easiest hike in Boca Negra Canyon. At only .1 miles long, the Macaw Trail simply leads you up and around a loop showcasing some excellent petroglyph examples. Of note is the petroglyph of a Macaw (see picture) a non-native bird from South/Central America which indicates to archeologists that the Ancestral Pueblo and other early settlers had dealings with many other tribes, some of whom lived very far away.