Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters

Take your next trip with Atlas Obscura!

Our small-group adventures are inspired by our Atlas of the world's most fascinating places, the stories behind them, and the people who bring them to life.

Visit Adventures
Trips Highlight
Puglia Italy - Matera
Italy • 8 days, 7 nights
Southern Italy: Castles, Caves & Coastal Treasures in Puglia
from
Turkmenistan Gates of Hell Darvaza crater
Turkmenistan • 10 days, 9 nights
Turkmenistan & the Gates of Hell
from
View all trips
Top Destinations
Latest Places
Most Popular Places Random Place Lists Itineraries
Add a Place
Download the App
Top Destinations
View All Destinations »

Countries

  • Australia
  • Canada
  • China
  • France
  • Germany
  • India
  • Italy
  • Japan

Cities

  • Amsterdam
  • Barcelona
  • Beijing
  • Berlin
  • Boston
  • Budapest
  • Chicago
  • London
  • Los Angeles
  • Mexico City
  • Montreal
  • Moscow
  • New Orleans
  • New York City
  • Paris
  • Philadelphia
  • Rome
  • San Francisco
  • Seattle
  • Stockholm
  • Tokyo
  • Toronto
  • Vienna
  • Washington, D.C.
Latest Places
View All Places »
Pinal Airpark
Note the chrysanthemum crests.
Hachiman Bridge
Clarendon War Memorial.
Clarendon War Memorial
This fried chicken is one of Bangkok’s most famous.
Gai Tord Jae Kee
Latest Places to Eat & Drink
View All Places to Eat »
This fried chicken is one of Bangkok’s most famous.
Gai Tord Jae Kee
Chefs Aruss Lerlerstkull and Atcharaporn Kiatthanawat lean into regional traditions.
Charmgang
The khao soi at Gedhawa comes with a rich, coconutty broth.
Gedhawa
At Nai Mong Hoi Thod, the oyster omelet is worth waiting for.
Nai Mong Hoi Thod
In this deceptively simple dish, top-quality ingredients are paramount.
Kor Panich
Recent Stories
All Stories Video Podcast
Most Recent Stories
View All Stories »
Haleakalā National Park’s summit region, shrouded in the pre-dawn fog.
Beware the Legends Behind These National Park Souvenirs
3 days ago
For Aguilar-Carrasco, nature is a powerful reminder of the interconnectedness of all life.
How Can National Parks Be Made Accessible to All? AO Wants to Know.
4 days ago
Podcast: Finding ‘The Great Gatsby’ in Louisville
5 days ago
Here’s which treats you can safely lug home without risking a fine.
Dear Atlas: What International Food Can I Legally Bring Into the U.S.?
6 days ago

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All the United States California Fish Rocks

Fish Rocks

This unique graffiti art from the 1940s has become a staple of this local landscape in the remote California desert.

California

Added By
Kyle Ensrude
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
Rocks in Surrounding Landscape   kirstenalana / Atlas Obscura User
Rocks in Surrounding Landscape   kirstenalana / Atlas Obscura User
Fish Rocks w/ a human for scale.   kyleensrude / Atlas Obscura User
The Fish Rocks jut out of the earth at Poison Canyon.   kyleensrude / Atlas Obscura User
Fish Rocks, near Trona, Searles Valley, CA 9/21/2016   Keri Kilgo / Atlas Obscura User
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

This Place Is a Stub

Help improve this place with additional information or photos.

Make an Edit

About

Driving east from Ridgecrest, California on Hwy 178, visitors will find these painted rocks at the edge of Poison Canyon, about halfway to Searles Valley. The rocks look like moray eels peering out from desert boulders at unsuspecting travelers.

According to various accounts, they were first painted in the 1940s by Joe Fox. The designs have been maintained by locals ever since the 1970s when a group of Boy Scouts painted over them and two local girls, Nancy Reed and Claudia Grandjean, repainted them. The girls were detained for questioning by the local sheriff, but area residents decided they wanted to keep the Fish Rocks. The girls were let off the hook and the images have been a part of the landscape ever since

Related Tags

Outsider Art Graffiti

Know Before You Go

The rocks are located just 15 minutes east of Ridgecrest, CA, two minutes before the turn off for Trona Pinnacles. There’s a large pull-off area on the northwest side of the highway, and the rocks are just a short walk away. They are free and accessible to the public.

Community Contributors

Added By

kyleensrude

Edited By

kirstenalana, Keri Kilgo, Retrocat

  • kirstenalana
  • Keri Kilgo
  • Retrocat

Published

February 25, 2020

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Fish Rocks
CA-178
California, 93562
United States
35.666772, -117.428252

Nearby Places

Trona Pinnacles

Trona, California

miles away

Searles Lake

San Bernardino County, California

miles away

Barker Ranch

Panamint, California

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of California

California

United States

Places 1,494
Stories 135

Nearby Places

Trona Pinnacles

Trona, California

miles away

Searles Lake

San Bernardino County, California

miles away

Barker Ranch

Panamint, California

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of California

California

United States

Places 1,494
Stories 135

Related Places

  • Leuven Mini City

    Leuven, Belgium

    Leuven Mini City

    A tiny metropolis resides inside this student housing complex.

  • 34th Street Graffiti Wall

    Gainesville, Florida

    34th Street Graffiti Wall

    Though illegal, city officials have made an exception for this work of art.

  • Artist’s Lane

    Windsor, Australia

    Artist's Lane

    This previously dilapidated alleyway has been transformed into one of Melbourne's finest hidden art locations.

  • Sunshine Lane

    Brunswick, Australia

    Sunshine Lane

    A hidden lane full of top-quality street art.

  • Three Kids Mine

    Henderson, Nevada

    Three Kids Mine

    This former open-pit manganese mine is now a massive graffiti canvas.

  • B8 Containers Mural

    Edinburgh, Scotland

    Wildlife Mural

    One of Edinburgh's most popular works of street art is located well off the beaten path.

  • Empty stores are covered with art.

    Primm, Nevada

    Prizm Outlets

    This mostly abandoned shopping outlet is now adorned with beautiful graffiti and murals.

  • Zoom Flume

    Bloomington, Indiana

    Zoom Flume

    Tucked away in the forests of Indiana resides an abandoned waterslide that is now a popular graffiti haunt.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.