Welcome to Friends of Sierra Rock Art we work to honor, preserve, and share the ancient voices etched in stone.
For thousands of years, Indigenous peoples traversed the high peaks and hidden valleys of the Sierra Nevada and all over leaving behind carved symbols and petroglyphs that bear witness to their stories, beliefs, and connections to the land. These rock carvings are not art for decoration they are sacred markers of time, culture, and memory.
We are the Friends of Sierra Rock Art, a grassroots community of volunteers, historians, archaeologists, and concerned neighbors. Since 1990, we've partnered with land managers, tribal groups, local schools, and public agencies to:
Document and monitor rock-art sites across the northern Sierra Nevada from rugged granite cliffs to quiet canyon walls. Assessing weathering, human impact, and overall site health.
Provide educational outreach fostering awareness in communities and schools about the cultural importance of Native American petroglyphs in our region.
Bring people together those who care about the Sierra’s ancient heritage, geology, and history. We nurture a community of enthusiasts, locals, scholars, hikers, and Indigenous descendants united in respect for what came before.
About Our Name
We recognize that the term “rock art” is RIGHTFULLY not preferred by many Native American communities, as it can suggest that these ancient markings were created simply as artwork. For the descendants of the region's Indigenous peoples, these images are often spiritual, cultural, ceremonial, and ancestral expressions, not art in the modern sense.
Our organization was founded in 1991, during a time when “rock art” was the commonly used archaeological term for petroglyphs and related imagery. Although the name Friends of Sierra Rock Art reflects that earlier terminology, our work today is guided by a deep respect for Indigenous perspectives and a commitment to using more appropriate language whenever possible.
Within our programs, publications, and educational materials, we strive to use terms such as petroglyphs, cultural sites, ancestral markings, or traditional expressions, unless a tribal community directs us otherwise. We remain open to learning, listening, and evolving as we partner with Native communities and cultural specialists.
Winner of the American Rock Art Research Association’s National Conservation Awarrd and the first nonprofessional organization to receive the Society for California Archaeology’s Helen C. Smith award for significant contributions to California Archaeology.