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Sanilac Petroglyphs

An etching in rock of a stick figure holding a bow and arrow.

Sanilac Petroglyphs

Sanilac Petroglyphs Historic State Park protects and interprets Michigan’s largest known collection of early Native American teachings carved in stone. The carvings are called Ezhibiigaadek Asin, “written on stone,” in the Anishinaabemowin language.

The park includes the petroglyphs and a mile-long, self-guided walking trail featuring peaceful forests, the remains of a 19th-century logging camp and a 110-year-old white pine.

The Sanilac Petroglyphs Historic State Park is co-managed by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources Parks and Recreation Division, the Michigan History Center and the Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe of Michigan.

Visitor Information

Sanilac Petroglyphs Historic State Park

8251 Germania Rd, Cass City, MI 48726

Phone: 989-856-4411
Email: DNR-sanilacpetroglyphs@michigan.gov

Please allow two hours to tour the site. Both parking and admission are free.

Hours of Operation

Sanilac Petroglyphs Historic State Park is open year-round. The enclosure that protects the petroglyphs is open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Wednesday through Sunday, from May 29 through September 1.

Visit the park's website

Accessibility

A spaciously wide layer of crushed limestone on the trail connecting the parking lot and the archaeological site has the feel and functionality of concrete, providing greater accessibility. Visitors will first encounter 12 feet of lawn and then reach the trail, which runs approximately 900 feet to the pavilion.

Service animals are always welcomed.

Thanks to a Thumb Area Boy Scout troop, two benches offer visitors a place to rest along the hiking trail.

Amenities

Looking for more history?

The Michigan History Center runs more sites and museums statewide. There's more history to explore!

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