Address Petroglyph National Monument, New Mexico Map, Hours 8am-5pm Daily (year round), Cost $1 weekdays/$2 weekends Website
There are over 20,000 carved images in the rocks at Petroglyph National Monument. Many of them are easily recognized as animals, people, and straightforward symbols. A hike on one of the many trails in the park provides an opportunity to explore the natural landscape and to talk with your kids about how the native Americans in this area lived.
Stop in at the visitor center to get help choosing a trail that will work for your kids and you. The visitor's center also has books that help kids understand the Petroglyphs and several activity and story books that you can buy to help you continue the conversation after you leave the monument.
With our two kids (aged 3 and 21 months at our visit), we selected a short, but rocky trail that both kids were able to walk (mostly) independently. The trail brought us past many different Petroglyphs, and the kids loved the combination of the opportunity to be in nature and search for "drawings" in the rocks.