El Morro National Monument

El Morro National Monument was established in 1906 to preserve ancient and historic inscriptions on a sandstone monolith, called El Morro or Inscription Rock, in western New Mexico. The rock, jutting out from a mesa within this 1,279-acre site, is 200 feet high. Carved into it are hundreds of American Indian petroglyphs as well as the names of early Spanish explorers, including one explorer who became the first Spanish governor. The landmark rock served as a campsite for later travelers, many hundreds of whom also carved their names in the soft sandstone.