Photo of the Week: Indian Grinding Rock State Historic Park

The Miwok Indians established villages along the rivers and streams of the Sierra Nevada centuries ago, and today visitors to Indian Grinding Rock State Historic Park in Pine Grove, California are reminded of the tribe’s impact on the region’s cultural fabric by a prominent piece of modern art. The statue is artist Jim Plamondon’s interpretation of a traditional Miwok California Indian male dancer with a flicker headband over his eyes. It was a donation to the park and designed as a tribute to the local Miwok tribes and all California Indians. An inscription on the statue reads, “Dedicated to the First People of California.”

Located on the state historic park’s 135 acres is an ancient outcropping of marbleized limestone with 1,185 Miwok mortar holes, which is the largest collection of Native American mortars anywhere in North America. These acorn-grinding mortar holes were created by untold generations of women over thousands of years. In 1973 the park’s large stone slab of mortar holes was placed on the National Register of Historic Places. The Grinding Rock is 60 feet wide and 250 feet long and, aside from the mortar holes, features 363 petroglyphs, including circles, spoked wheels, animal and human tracks and wavy lines.

Visitors to Indian Grinding Rock State Historic Park can learn more about the Miwok tribe’s influence on the area by visiting the Chaw’se Regional Indian Museum. Hikers can explore the park’s two trails for a glimpse of the natural beauty and defining historic sites found there.

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Photo courtesy of California State Parks.