Petrified Forest National Park is over 93,000 acres
covered with thousands of petrified logs and scattered with fossilized
dinosaur bones and plants. Over two hundred million years ago, trees
were carried by rivers and streams into the park which was at the time a
swampy lowland. The trees were submerged in water, buried under
volcanic ash and the wood replaced by silica in the ash. The logs
then turned to stone and minerals stained the petrified logs to produce
rainbow-like colors. The logs were exposed by uplifting of the land.
The park includes part of the painted desert and incredible geological
features.
You can reach
Petrified Forest National Park either from the north or south. If you are
approaching from the north there is a 27 mile road that runs through the
Park from I-40, exit 311 to US 180.
The first few miles
of this road
runs through the Painted Desert National Park and has 9 viewpoints of the multi-colored landscape. The patterns visible in the rocks are due to
hematite (red), limonite (yellow) and gypsum (white) which are very
striking at sunset.
A level
walk among petrified logs through the northern part of the park.
It leads to a long log spanning a wash. After the first
half mile to Chinde Point there is no trail but you can see the
Desert Inn Museum across the distance as you go.
Behind the
Painted Inn Desert Museum on I-40 at Kachina Point.
2 mi.
Blue
Mesa
The trail
leads through blue, purple and gray layered cone shaped hills.
This was the best trail we took in the park because the scenery was
incredible.
Blue Mesa
Scenic Point along Blue Mesa Road
1 mi.
Crystal
Forest
Passes
beautiful petrified logs that contain crystals
By the
Crystal Forest scenic viewpoint
1 mile loop
Long Logs
The trail
passes the park's largest collection of petrified logs.
By the
Rainbow Forest Museum
0.6 mile
loop
Agate
House
Eight room
structure built by Puebloans over 800 years ago of petrified wood
and adobe.
The road going through the
Painted Desert National Park is 28 miles long and will take the entire day. The road starts
on the north end of the park at I-40 and ends at US 180 in the south.
On the northern
half are colorful badlands and the petrified logs are concentrated in the
southern portion of the park. Highlights of the drive are Chinde
Point, Kachina Point and Tiponi Point that provide sweeping views of the
various hues of the painted desert, and Pintado Point that is the
highest point in the park and offers views of Pilot Rock as well as the
painted Desert. Petroglyphs can be seen at Newspaper Rock and Puerco
Pueblo where there is also remains of an Indian pueblo built 600 years
ago. Just south are red cone shaped hills called the Tepees. The
Tepees and the road to the Blue Mesa were the scenic highlight of the trip for
us.
The polished, colorful
petrified logs are concentrated in the southern half of the park where you
will also find the Rainbow Forest Museum.
The Outdoor Forum
Copyright 2004. All rights reserved.
Revised:
10/27/06
