06/12/2025
How to Visit Nine Mile Canyon in Utah (Quick & Easy Guide)
Located in central Utah, Nine Mile Canyon is a remote and picturesque canyon that boasts the most extensive collection of ancient rock art in North America.
If you like scenic drives and fun scavenger hunts, Nine Mile Canyon is a destination you don’t want to miss.
In this article, I’ll cover everything you need to know before visiting.
About Nine Mile Canyon
Nine Mile Canyon is often referred to as the “World’s Longest Art Gallery” due to its impressive concentration of rock art panels. These remarkable pictographs and petroglyphs, created by Native American cultures over thousands of years, provide a window into their lives, beliefs, and cultural practices.
The Canyon is 46 Miles Long
Despite its name, Nine Mile Canyon is actually 46 miles long. It got its “Nine Mile” name from an early explorer and it has always been attached to the area.
The 46-mile-long road provides a lovely scenic drive as you wind through the canyon, with multiple marked stops, pullouts, and picnic areas to break up the drive.
What is Rock Art?
Rock art is a catchall term for ancient drawings and carvings. Petroglyphs are etched into the rocks, while pictographs are painted on the rocks. But they are often just referred to as “rock art,” for short.
The Rock Art in Nine Mile Canyon
The rock art in Nine Mile Canyon was done by the Fremont Peoples, who lived here around 1,000 AD, and the Ute Indians, who lived here during the last few hundred years.
There are over 1,000 rock art panels (collections found on one wall), and over 10,000 images in Nine Mile Canyon, making it the densest collection of rock art in the world.
For context, there is rock art in Utah that is much older, called the Barrier Canyon Style. These are marked by tall, narrow figures. You can find some in the San Rafael Swell by following our 3-Day Road Trip, as well as in Horseshoe Canyon in Canyonlands.
Purpose of This Guide
This guide is meant to be an easy and helpful guide for the average first-time visitor – those who want to see the best of the canyon in about half a day.
With so many images to view, you could spend several days, or make several return trips to search for images. If you’re an avid rock art hunter and want to find many hidden panels that aren’t marked, see my recommendations at the bottom of this article.
Visiting on a Road Trip
Nine Mile Canyon is located in central Utah, near some other amazing places. I’ve put together a Perfect 3-Day Road Trip to discover the best of these areas, including the Little Grand Canyon and the cute town of Helper, Utah.
When to Visit
The canyon is open all year, so you can visit anytime. I would avoid winter due to the snow it receives. Spring and fall would be best, but the summer is fine as well because you don’t have to do much hiking.
I visited on a gorgeous spring day, and hardly anyone was in the canyon, so you never really have to worry about crowds.
The average temperatures in this area are:
January: High 35°F (2°C), Low 14°F (-10°C)
February: High 42°F (6°C), Low 20°F (-7°C)
March: High 51°F (11°C), Low 27°F (-3°C)
April: High 61°F (16°C), Low 34°F (1°C)
May: High 72°F (22°C), Low 42°F (6°C)
June: High 83°F (28°C), Low 50°F (10°C)
July: High 91°F (33°C), Low 57°F (14°C)
August: High 89°F (32°C), Low 55°F (13°C)
September: High 79°F (26°C), Low 45°F (7°C)
October: High 66°F (19°C), Low 34°F (1°C)
November: High 50°F (10°C), Low 24°F (-4°C)
December: High 37°F (3°C), Low 16°F (-9°C)
Where to Stay
Price, Utah, is usually the jumping-off point. Price has many very affordable chain hotels to choose from.
There is one location for lodging within the canyon: Nine Mile Ranch. It offers cabins and an RV park. I believe they have one room available as a bed and breakfast. They also offer tours of the canyon if you’re interested.
If you’re struggling to know where to stay, a great tool to use is booking.com. We use them as a great resource to compare prices and ratings all in one place.
Getting There
Nine Mile Canyon is located between Salt Lake City and Green River, just south of Price, Utah. To get there, drive on Highway 6 to Wellington, Utah, and turn northeast on Soldier Creek Road.
Gas Up and Get a Free Brochure at Miller’s Travel Center
There is a Miller’s Travel Center gas station on the corner of the turn-off to Soldier Creek Road. Stop in here to pick up a free booklet for the canyon.
We liked this little brochure because it gave the highlights of the canyon. Other online guides felt a little overwhelming, but this focused on the must-see sites.
And make sure to fill up on gas, since there are no services in the canyon! You might also consider getting some picnic stuff here.
Download the Audio Guide
Carbon County has created a free audio guide for the canyon! I’m so glad I found out about this before I went because it made our experience much nicer.
To get the audio guide, download the free TravelStorys app to your phone, then search for Nine Mile Canyon. Download it so it is available offline. It is triggered by GPS points, so it will play when appropriate while you drive, or even walk to certain sites.
You can even get a little preview of the audio tour if you’d like.
The stops I list below are the same stops mentioned in the audio tour and are meant to give you an idea of what you’ll see when you go.
There is No Cell Service in the Canyon
Download your audio guide and maps before you go, because there is no cell service in the canyon.
Allow 4-6 hours to Explore the Canyon
If you’re like us and just want to see the major sites, allow 4-6 hours to see the canyon. This includes eating a picnic at one of the two picnic sites in the canyon.
Many of the rock art sites are seen right from the roadside pullouts. Some even have metal tubes to look in to help you spot the sites on the canyon walls. Much of the canyon is privately owned, so there are even a few sites that are right by the road, but you’re asked not to walk up to them because they are on private land. The audio guide helps with this quite a bit.
There are a few sites you have to walk to. The walks are short, and they were definitely well worth it. So be prepared to do a little bit of hiking/walking.
Sign up for park updates, travel ideas, and stories of the West all in our weekly newsletter delivered to your inbox once a week.
Pack a Picnic
There are no services in the canyon, so I highly encourage you to pack a picnic. There are two picnic sites in the canyon:
The Cottonwood Glen Picnic Area, one of the first sites you’ll encounter in the canyon.
The Daddy Canyon Complex stop, near the end of the canyon.
The Cottonwood Glen Picnic Area is much nicer. It has more trees and is located by the river. We explored the canyon first thing in the morning and ate lunch at Cottonwood Glen on our way out of the canyon.
Both have vault restrooms as well. There isn’t any water in the canyon, so be sure to bring some!
Bring Binoculars
Because many of the rock art sites are located on the canyon walls overhead, I highly recommend packing a pair of binoculars. Our favorites are the Carson RD Series because we thought they were the best value, but whatever you choose, you’ll be glad you brought some.
