We know that there were European settlers in what is now Dupont State Recreational Forest from the 1700s. Two cemeteries in the forest keep the remains of inhabitants. But it’s no surprise that Cherokees lived and passed through Dupont way before that.

The Cherokee left petroglyphs, pictures dug or scratched in the rock. Today, Dr. Keith Parker gave a lecture on petroglyphs in the classroom in Dupont Forest for Friends of Dupont members. Most of the members knew each other, and I may have come the furthest, all the way from Asheville.

According to Parker, petroglyphs are scratched in the rock and not painted. No one knows what the petroglyphs mean. The scratches can take on four fundamental symbols: circle, square, center and cross. In Dupont, circles seem to prevail.

Some believe that petroglyphs are a sign from outer space, but I just let that wash over me. The Cherokee connection seems more relevant.

Parker spent a lot of time talking about Judaculla Rock in Jackson County. That rock is quite elaborate. After years of abuse, Judaculla Rock is now protected. Parker gave us driving instructions on how to find it.

Then the group drove to the Corn Mill Shoal parking area, about a 10 to 15-minute drive from the Visitor Center. We hiked up Big Rock Trail, a rutted bike trail. I had hiked Big Rock Trail a few weeks ago. Though I had noticed the rocks, big rocks, I never paid attention to petroglyphs.

But to see a large group of petroglyphs, you had to get off the trail and unto a “Big Rock”. A short path to the right took us to a large expanse of rocks. And the group started looking down. It didn’t take a scientist to see these scratched circles; lots and lots of them.

The photo above makes it seem like it’s a black and white picture. But it’s not; that’s what the rock looks like. The twenty or so hikers spread out and called out their finds. It wasn’t that difficult to find your own petroglyphs as we traversed the rock.

It seems that the trail went right over these petroglyphs. But Friends of Dupont who knew about these Cherokee treasures asked for the trail to be moved. They were rightly concerned that the constant biking would wear away the petroglyphs. Finally, the Forest agreed.

Sometimes it just pays to get off the beaten path.