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A 135-acre state historic park preserving the largest collection of bedrock mortars in North America, with 1,185 mortar holes, 363 ancient petroglyphs, a reconstructed Miwok village, and the Chaw'se Regional Indian Museum.
Indian Grinding Rock State Historic Park, known as Chaw’se, sits on 135 acres of meadows and valley oaks eight miles east of Jackson near Pine Grove. The park’s centerpiece is a massive slab of marbleized limestone bearing 1,185 mortar holes — the largest collection of bedrock mortars anywhere in North America — where Miwok people ground acorns for thousands of years. Alongside the grinding rock, 363 petroglyphs estimated to be 2,000 to 3,000 years old are carved into the stone surface.
Beyond the grinding rock, visitors can explore a reconstructed Miwok village with traditional bark houses and a ceremonial roundhouse that remains in active use for tribal gatherings, most notably during the May Chaw’se Day Celebration and the September Big Time celebration. The Chaw’se Regional Indian Museum, shaped like a roundhouse, represents twenty local tribes through exhibits of basketry, regalia, and tools. The park also offers hiking trails, group picnic areas, and family campsites surrounded by the quiet beauty of the Sierra foothills.
View the park's centerpiece — a marbleized limestone outcrop with 1,185 mortar holes used by the Miwok people for thousands of years to process acorns, plus 363 petroglyphs estimated to be 2,000–3,000 years old.
A museum designed as a traditional roundhouse, displaying basketry, feather regalia, jewelry, arrowpoints, and tools representing the Northern Sierra Miwok and other regional Native American groups.
Walk through a reconstructed village featuring traditional bark houses, a ceremonial roundhouse still used for tribal gatherings, and a game field.
Multiple trails wind through meadows and surrounding valley oak forest across the park's 135 acres.
Family and environmental campsites available with RV access, restrooms, outdoor showers, and drinking water.
Two designated picnic areas accommodate groups of up to 150 people.
Hours & Seasons
Park
Daily, sunrise to sunset
Chaw'se Regional Indian Museum
Daily 10 AM – 4 PM (closed Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year's Day)
Website
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