Writing Rock State Historical Site

Writing Rock State Historic Site, located twelve miles (19 km) northeast of Grenora, North Dakota in Divide County near the Montana border, is the site of two large granite boulders, carved with petroglyphs featuring thunderbirds, mythological creatures that are of importance in the culture of Plains Indian tribes. The age of the carvings has not been determined, but they could date from 1000 to about 1700, according to the North Dakota Historical Society. While the meaning of many of the images is lost to history, both Sioux and Assiniboine peoples considered the site sacred. For many years, that smaller boulder was kept at the University of North Dakota, but in 1965, it was returned to what had by then become the Writing Rock State Historic Site. Today, the two boulders are enclosed in a shelter and protected by iron bars at the historic site. Recreational facilities at the historic site include picnic tables in a grove of trees, picnic shelters, a building with a kitchen, fireplace, playground equipment, restrooms, and a parking lot.

Monument data from Wikidata (CC0). Summary from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA).