Cerro Prieto

Cerro Prieto

Please Note: Due to graffiti, vandalism and other damage to the petroglyphs and natural surroundings, Cerro Prieto has been closed by INAH, the Mexican National Institute of Anthropology and History, which controls access to the site.

Cerro Prieto is a prominent hill located in west Caborca that can be seen to the east of state highway 37. The hill has ancient rock-art etchings, or petroglyphs, on its western face, which unfortunately are interspersed with modern rock graffiti, some of it overlaying the ancient treasures.

The hill is climbable, although there is loose rock near the top, and it offers views of the surrounding areas.

The south side of Cerro Prieto offers views of the mission at Pueblo Viejo to the north. To the east one can see an Infonavit housing development, and the western exposure looks out over desert land that used to be cotton fields that provided the fiber to support the war effort during WWII.

The fields provided a viable cotton industry for Caborca from the 1940’s to the 1960’s, when synthetic fabrics made growing cotton less lucrative.

Further west you can see Sonora highway 37 as it extends past local ranches on the route to the coast of the Sea of Cortez.