Determine the location of any known petroglyphs in your area. Tourism bureaus often have this information. Having at least a rough idea of where petroglyphs are can help you find them more easily -- and may even help you discover new, unknown petroglyphs nearby.
Enter the petroglyphs' location into your cell phone map, if it has one, or into a portable GPS unit. Use coordinates if possible. Charting your course on an area map can put you in the near vicinity of petroglyphs, but most petroglyphs are found in mountain caves or rock walls far from modern roads.
Ask a local expert or do a bit of research before you leave your hotel to find out what kinds of rocks in the area are most likely to have petroglyphs on them. This will give you a good idea of where to start looking. For instance, if you are in the American Southwest, you'll learn that brown and black rock cliffs and red sandstone are the kinds of stones most likely to have Native American petroglyphs carved onto them.
Comb the surrounding area whenever you come across some petroglyphs. It often happens that if you find one set of petroglyphs, other sets will be located on stones very close by. Take photos, where permitted.
