What to See at Map Rock in Melba, Idaho

A Visitor's Guide to Map Rock on the Banks of the Snake River in SW Idaho

Few people know that Map Rock near Melba, Idaho is reputed to be to be of the oldest rock maps in North America. Map Rock dates back some 12,000 years and was carved by nomadic hunter gatherers who called the Snake River region their home. These nomadic Indians left behind a detailed record of their hunting grounds and encampments within the upper Snake River Valley, an area that covered nearly 32,000 square miles.

Geological history of the region

How such a large basalt boulder ended up along the shores of the Snake River is an interesting story in itself. Map rock and many other boulders like it were carried downstream during the Great Bonneville Flood 16,000 years ago. The Great Bonneville flood was the second largest known flood in the history of world, and forever changed the landscape of the Snake River Valley in Idaho. Huge basalt boulders were tossed about like confetti and stunning waterfalls were created where they weren't any before.

The numerous basalt rocks and boulders that dotted the Snake River basin inspired nomadic tribes to record images that were meaningful to them. Today, the largest concentration of SW Idaho Petroglyphs, or rock carvings, are in the present day areas of Melba and south Kuna.

Map Rock

What distinguishes Map Rock from other petroglyphs is both its size and the number of easily recognizable carvings.

Visitors to the site can distinguish the curly snakelike lines of the Snake and the Salmon rivers in Idaho, and numerous tiny tributaries. Also scattered among the rivers are carvings of antelope, deer, buffalo, mountain sheep, and elk. Visitors are able to pick out the image of the legendary Chief Big Foot, locate symbols for mountains and the passing of time.

For kids, it's quite a bit of fun to "interpret" the map and assign a meaning to a particular image. Even adults will find the carvings on Map Rock fascinating to look at.

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