25 Mar Judaculla Rock: Petroglyphs in Cullowhee, North Carolina

Judaculla Rock is a soapstone rock with petroglyphs dating back hundreds and possibly even thousands of years ago. While there are many legends surrounding the carvings, it is known that they are a piece of Cherokee history. Why not plan a visit to the rock so that you can see the petroglyphs for yourself! 

Another location in the United States that holds an array of petroglyphs is La Cieneguilla Petroglyphs in New Mexico. Time to start planning your road trip there!

Contents:

1) Judaculla Rock Location 

2) Opening Hours and Entrance Fee

3) The Best Time to Visit

4) Quick Facts

5) Background

6) Additional Visitor Information

1) Judaculla Rock Location 

Where is Judaculla Rock located? What is the closest airport to Judaculla Rock? 

Judaculla Rock is located in Cullowhee, North Carolina. For reference, it is one hour southwest of Asheville, North Carolina.

I visited the rock on the third day of a road trip from Pennsylvania to California with friends. Moreover, I visited Sliding Rock and the Road to Nowhere on the same day since they are also located in North Carolina.

Sliding Rock, which is a natural rock waterslide, is only an hour east down the road. Why not plan a day trip to both the Judaculla Rock + Sliding Rock? You can check out some cool petroglyphs before then letting loose as you slide down a natural rock waterslide into a pool of refreshing water. 

Parking

There is a small parking area across the road from the rock. As you drive along Judaculla Rock Road, you can see the boardwalk leading to the rock on your right and the parking area on your left. However, please note there are no amenities at this location. For example, there are no restrooms.

Nearby Lodging

Judaculla Rock is located in Cullowhee, North Carolina, which is a fairly small town. That being said, there are not a lot of lodging options within the town borders of Cullowhee. Nevertheless, there are a lot of other small towns nearby where you can stay for the night. It is then just a quick drive from one of those towns to Cullowhee. For a more luxurious stay, book the Golf Cottage Mountain Escape. It is an entire vacation home and boasts a balcony, private pool, and picnic area. For an option that is a bit cheaper, book a room at the River’s Edge Motel. While it is a more of a budget hotel, it still boasts wonderful reviews.

On the other hand, you can plan to stay a bit further out in the city of Asheville, North Carolina. Asheville is a much larger town compared to Cullowhee. You are thus able to experience more lodging as well as restaurant and entertainment options. For a more luxurious stay, book a room at The Inn on Biltmore Estate. The Estate has a heated outdoor pool, spa, and on-site restaurants. For an option that is a bit cheaper, book a room at the Country Inn and Suites Asheville. Even though it is a less expensive option, it still offers a fitness center, indoor pool, and more.

View of Judaculla Rock from the boardwalk

Nearby Airports

Unfortunately there are not a lot of airports near Judaculla Rock because it is in a bit more of a rural area of North Carolina. While there are a few county airports within an hour’s drive, these airports generally do not offer flights to the general public. For example, you cannot book a United flight into the Jackson County Airport, which is just 20 minutes down the road.

On the other hand, Asheville Regional Airport is located one hour and 10 minutes east. It only offers domestic flights since it is a regional airport. Nevertheless, you can always fly to an international airport and continue on from there. Additionally, another nearby regional airport is the McGhee Tyson Airport in Knoxville, Tennessee. It is about two and a half hours northwest.

The closest international airport is the Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport. It is located two hours southeast. The next closest international airport is the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport at three hours southwest. 

Furthermore, please note there are no public transportation options available from any of the airports mentioned above to Judaculla Rock. I recommend you rent a car from the airport. A ride share service such as Uber might not want to drive that far outside of the towns in which the airports are located. 

2) Opening Hours and Entrance Fee

What are the opening hours for Judaculla Rock? 

First, you are welcome to visit the rock at any time during daylight hours. Please be respectful and do not visit after dark. Moreover, visiting at dark will not be helpful to you anyways because then you cannot see the petroglyphs in all their glory. 

Is There an Entrance Fee for Judaculla Rock?

Second, there is no fee to visit Judaculla Rock. You can thus add this to your itinerary at no cost. For example, I stopped here once on a road trip with friends from Pennsylvania to California when I was in college. We were definitely on a budget due to the fact that we were all college students. Free attractions such as this one were thus great additions to our itinerary. 

Another free attraction in the state of North Carolina is the Cameron Barnstormer Murals. They are essentially a bunch of murals painted on the sides of barns, and you can journey around the town to find them.

3) The Best Time to Visit Judaculla Rock

When is the best time to visit Judaculla Rock? How long should I plan in my itinerary to visit Judaculla Rock? 

I recommend you plan to visit Judaculla Rock anytime from the early spring to the late fall. The town of Cullowhee, North Carolina does get a bit of snow each winter. Even just one inch of snow could cover up the petroglyphs on the rock. What is the purpose of visiting if you cannot even see the petroglyphs? Moreover, they ask you to be respectful and to not touch the rock. You thus cannot just wipe the snow off of it. 

I visited the rock in August, and I found the petroglyphs to be quite interesting even though it was raining. 

Estimated Visit Time

I recommend that you plan for 15 to 30 minutes in your itinerary for a visit. The boardwalk leading to the rock is fairly short, and thus you can walk the entire length in about one minute. Then the rest of the time you can spend examining the petroglyphs on the rock. 

Close-up of the petroglyphs on Judaculla Rock

4) Quick Facts

1. Judaculla Rock is located in the town of Cullowhee, North Carolina.

2. There is a parking lot across the road from the rock and also a small boardwalk leading to a viewing platform. 

3. There is no entrance fee to visit, though you are only able to visit during daylight hours. 

4. Judaculla Rock is a soapstone rock filled with petroglyphs of the Cherokee Nation. 

5. The rock received its name from Judaculla, a slant-eyed giant and hunting god, of the Cherokee.

5) Background of Judaculla Rock

How many petroglyphs does Judaculla Rock contain? How old are the petroglyphs? What formed the handprint on Judaculla Rock? How did Judaculla Rock receive its name? 

Judaculla Rock is a soapstone rock filled with petroglyphs of the Cherokee Nation from hundreds and possibly even thousands of years ago. It includes over 1,500 separate total carvings. Therefore, it is one of the rocks with the most petroglyphs in the entire state of North Carolina. Additionally, as of 2013 it is included in the National Register of Historic Places. 

To get an idea of the petroglyphs you can see during your visit, take a look at some of the Judaculla Rock photos throughout this post. It is amazing how they still exist after hundreds and thousands of years.

What are Petroglyphs?

To put it simply, petroglyphs are images carved into rocks. The word petroglyph can be broken down into the Greek words of “petra” and “glyphein”. First, the word “petra” translates to “stone”. Second, the world “glyphein” translates to “carve”. 

Origin of the Name

The rock received its name from Judaculla, a slant-eyed giant and hunting god, of the Cherokee. Originally the giant’s name was Tsul’kalu. Some say English-speakers mispronounced it over and over, and then it eventually became known as Judaculla. Moreover, legends say Judaculla lived in and guarded this area. 

View of Judaculla Rock from the boardwalk

Judaculla Rock Legend

There are a few different legends concerning the rock itself. One Judaculla Rock legend states that the rock acted as a portal between the spiritual and mortal world, for it contained instructions on how to enter the spirit world.

Additionally, another legend says Judaculla hopped from the mountaintop onto the rock, and it thus left a handprint on Judaculla Rock. When you visit, see if you can spot the handprint. It is located on the right-hand side towards the bottom. Moreover, the handprint is quite unique since Judaculla had seven fingers on each hand and seven toes on each foot.

Some historians believe the petroglyphs explain the story of a battle between the Cherokees and another nation.

On the other hand, some historians suggest the rock represents a map between regions. 

6) Additional Visitor Information

Are there restrooms located at Judaculla Rock? Is there cell service in the town of Cullowhee? Can I touch Judaculla Rock? 

First, please be aware that there are no amenities at this location other than the rock itself. This means there are no restrooms. If you need to take care of business, I recommend you find a nearby restaurant or gas station.

Second, be prepared for unreliable (or no) cell service. You are entering a more rural area of North Carolina, and thus your cell carrier might not offer the best service. I recommend downloading an offline version of the town of Cullowhee + the surrounding area on Google Maps.

Third, there is a nice boardwalk leading up to the rock for viewing purposes. You do not have to hike to reach Judaculla Rock, but instead it is just a short walk along the boardwalk.

Fourth, please do not touch or step on the rock. The petroglyphs are already eroding due to natural causes. Any interaction with the rock could then speed up that process to a greater extent.

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