Petroglyphs Provincial Park – Ontario’s Teaching Rocks (Kinoomaagewaabkong)
North of the city of Peterborough, lies a park of little renown but that should absolutely be explored. It is called Petroglyphs Provincial Park for a reason, sporting the highest concentrations of first nations pictogram / rock carvings in Canada it is a remarkable site.
Table of Contents
- How to Access the Site
- Parking, Hiking Trails and Petroglyph Access
- Exiting the Site and the Lake
- Conclusion
How to Access the Site
Follow Roadway 56 in to the park, pay the toll and follow the park road into the back of the park. This road runs around a set of two lakes, and wraps back around for you to exit later.
Parking, Hiking Trails and Petroglyph Access
Before the road loops back towards the entrance as mentioned ealier, you will find the parking for the hiking trails as well as the teaching rocks. The hikes are nice but the real star of the show is the Teaching Rocks themselves. I do warn you, as stupid as it is, photographs are not permitted inside the structure housing rocks. As such I had to borrow a photo from online as you can see below. The rocks are housed in place, under a glass structure. This was done to preserve them from the erosion caused by its exposure to rainwater. The main rock itself is massive and emerges like a humpback whale from the ground. Algonkian peoples carved them from 900 – 1400 A.D. On site, a first nations guide will explain the history of the rocks just as they once were a place where elders would take the young to teach them their spirituality. Among the carvings you will find many Manitou representations, including the Gitchi Manitou, (the Great Spirit). The Manitou were spirits both good and evil that were held in reverence by these peoples.
Exiting the Site and the Lake
Before you leave make sure you stop off at McGinnis Lake. Located on a rock table above it is a picnic area. The beautiful, almost azure lake, is one of the few meromictic bodies of water in Ontario. This means that the lake layers don’t mix (oxygen-rich water at the top and oxygen-poor layers below do not mingle!).
Conclusion
This is an easy stop-off, especially if short on time or have kids. You only need a few hours to explore the park, yet it is so rewarding. I highly recommend a visit!
