Near Ramah in Cibola County, New Mexico — The American Mountains (Southwest)
El Morro National Monument Inscription Rock
Erected by State of New Mexico.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Communications • Hispanic Americans • Native Americans • Settlements & Settlers. A significant historical year for this entry is 1605.
Location. 35° 2.595′ N, 108° 20.284′ W. Marker is near Ramah, New Mexico, in Cibola County. Marker is on State Road 53, on the right when traveling west. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Ramah NM 87321, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 3 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. Welcome to El Morro (about 500 feet away, measured in a direct line); Visitors Through the Ages (approx. half a mile away); Preserving Our Heritage (approx. 0.7 miles away); Monumental Changes
(approx. 0.7 miles away); Lemonade Sumac (approx. ¾ mile away); Oasis (approx. 0.8 miles away); Atsinna (approx. 0.9 miles away); Matilda Coxe Stevenson (1849-1915) (approx. 2.6 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Ramah.
More about this marker. The El Morro National Monument is inside the Ramah Navajo Indian Reservation (between towns of Pinehill & El Moro), in Cibola County just to the east of the town of Ramah.
Regarding El Morro National Monument Inscription Rock. El Morro National Monument is located on an ancient east-west trail in western New Mexico.
The main feature of this National Monument is a great sandstone promontory with a pool of water at its base. As a shaded oasis in the western U.S. desert, this site has seen many centuries of travelers. The Spaniard explorers called it "El Morro" (The Headland). The Zuni Indians call it "A'ts'ina" (Place of writings on the rock). Anglo-Americans called it "Inscription Rock". Travelers left signatures, names, dates, and stories of their treks. While some of the inscriptions are fading, there are still many that can be seen today, some dating to the 17th century. Some petroglyphs and carvings were made by the Anasazi centuries before Europeans started making their mark. In 1906, U.S. federal law prohibited further carving.
Also see . . .
National Park Service. El Morro (Submitted on December 5, 2008, by Mike Stroud of Bluffton, South Carolina.)

Photographed By Mike Stroud, 2003
6. El Morro waterhole
A reliable waterhole hidden at the base of a sandstone bluff made El Morro (the headland) a popular campsite. Ancestral Puebloans and Spanish and American travelers carved over 2,000 signatures, dates, messages, and petroglyphs for hundreds of years.
After centuries of continuous human use, the pool today is used only by local wildlife taking advantage of its refreshing waters.
After centuries of continuous human use, the pool today is used only by local wildlife taking advantage of its refreshing waters.
Credits. This page was last revised on January 4, 2021. It was originally submitted on December 5, 2008, by Mike Stroud of Bluffton, South Carolina. This page has been viewed 3,505 times since then and 114 times this year. Photos: 1. submitted on December 5, 2008, by Mike Stroud of Bluffton, South Carolina. 2. submitted on December 23, 2020, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11. submitted on December 5, 2008, by Mike Stroud of Bluffton, South Carolina. 12, 13. submitted on May 12, 2014, by Richard Denney of Austin, Texas. • Bill Pfingsten was the editor who published this page.