Petroglyphs Provincial Park

Petroglyphs Provincial Park
Building protecting petroglyphs
Map showing the location of Petroglyphs Provincial Park
Map showing the location of Petroglyphs Provincial Park
Location of the park in Southern Ontario
LocationWoodview, Ontario, Canada
Nearest cityPeterborough
Coordinates44°36′55″N 78°02′27″W / 44.615225°N 78.04076°W / 44.615225; -78.04076
Area16.43 km2 (6.34 sq mi)
Established1976
Visitors17,735 (in 2022[2])
Governing bodyOntario Parks
Websitehttps://www.ontarioparks.ca/park/petroglyphs
Map
Official namePeterborough Petroglyphs National Historic Site of Canada
Designated1981

Petroglyphs Provincial Park is a historical-class provincial park situated in Woodview, Ontario, Canada, northeast of Peterborough. It has the largest collection of ancient First Nations petroglyphs (rock carvings) in Ontario. The carvings were created in the pre-Columbian era and represents aspects of First Nations spirituality, including images of shamans, animals, reptiles, and, possibly, the Great Spirit itself.

The location of the site was kept hidden from non-First Nation people until 1954, when it was rediscovered accidentally by a prospector (Everett Davis)[3] of the Industrial Minerals of Canada. The immediate area of the petroglyphs has been designated a National Historic Site of Canada.[4]

  1. ^ UNEP-WCMC. "Protected Area Profile for Petroglyphs Provincial Park". World Database on Protected Areas. Retrieved 2024-11-08.
  2. ^ Parks, Ontario. "Ontario_Parks-Visitation-Statistics 2022 - Ministries". data.ontario.ca. Retrieved 2024-11-08.
  3. ^ The Milwaukee Journal - Oct 27, 1962, google news
  4. ^ Peterborough Petroglyphs. Canadian Register of Historic Places.