Here’s an adventure in the Sierra Foothills that is truly world class. Located in the town of Pine Grove on highway 88 is the Indian Grinding Rock State Historic Park. The park is famous for featuring the largest collection of bedrock mortar holes in North America. But it is also home to some of the oldest petroglyphs in California.
These two distinctions make Indian Grinding Rock SHP an excellent place to create an Educational Expedition.
The grinding rock itself has 1185 mortar cups that were used by the Miwok to grind acorns into flour that was cooked over hot rocks.  If you don’t know what you are looking for, the petroglyphs can be very difficult to spot. To make it a little easier, be sure to stop in the Chaw’se Regional Indian Museum to check out the petroglyph map.
Build an Educational Expedition:
Topics: Hiking, Archeology, History
Location: Indian Grinding Rock State Historic Park is located in the Sierra Foothills Northeast of Stockton, CA. Follow State Highway 88 from Jackson to Pine Grove.
Potential Goals:
- Hike to the largest collection of bedrock mortar holes in North America.
- Photograph a Petroglyph. This is difficult because access onto the bedrock is restricted to protect it from the impact of visitors. Special lenses and light conditions may be necessary.
- Draw a picture of a large Miwok village
- Play Eye-Spy in the Chaw’se Museum – find a quail trap, shells, mortar and pestle, and a basket
To learn more about creating educational expeditions, join our newsletter. We’ll send you a copy of  Educational Expeditions, our free e-book. It breaks down our four step process of tapping into backyards, state parks, national parks, and other public lands for education and recreation.
