We visited the Petrified Forest National Park on May 3, 2022. We entered through the South entrance, after spending the previous night in Winslow, AZ (on Historic Route 66) and enjoying the downtown homage to that signature tune by The Eagles.
After driving through the closest town, Holbrook, AZ, and driving right by the largest private seller of petrified wood and buying nothing … we arrived at the turn off to the park entrance, and went to the apparently smaller retailer of petrified wood that has a very impressive store right by the entrance. After buying nothing, again, we proceeded on to the main event.
The southern entrance of the park is close to the park museum and gift shop … worth a stop. Then we took a hike to the adjacent Long Logs area of the park to see one of the greatest collections of petrified wood you can walk to in the park: we walked about a mile and a half on a largely paved path. Most of the pix below are from that hike.
After getting blown by 20 MPH winds, gusting to 30 MPH, we proceeded on the drive through the park which took about 4 hours. We stopped at most of the recommended places, though we became discouraged by the 30 MPH winds that were gusting to 40 MPH at this point and did not do a significant hike again. In spite of the wind, we had a great visit and transitioned into the northern section of the park, AKA the Painted Desert. Our timing in May was good with some of the vegetation in it’s growth/flowering cycle.
Please note that our drive through the park was guided by the app “Just Ahead” which is highly recommended. This GPS-triggered app guided us through the park with both driving directions and interesting trivia just as you approached the relevant sections of the park. Highly recommended as the way to visit our national parks … though you may need to download maps while on the hotel’s wifi the night before!
We visited Arches on May 14, 2021. The Lady had signed up to get their tweets, so she knew that park capacity was being surpassed daily. They were closing the park to additional visitors at 11am. Or earlier. The park was re-opening in the late afternoon when more visitors could be accommodated in this “small” park.
Plus, we knew that popular spots would run out of parking fast. So we spent the night in Moab, and then got up at 6a to arrive at the park at 7:30a.
We had to wait in line for 15 minutes to get into the park; they had both lanes open to get the paying visitors into the park. We, of course, had our Golden Eagle passports, so we were in without paying the $30 per car. We elected to drive straight to the iconic Delicate Arch first … and we got there with plenty of parking available. After that picture was captured, we proceeded to drive through the rest of the park at our leisure, stopping at every designated wide spot in the road to take pictures.
The park’s website said we could spend 10 minutes at every Viewpoint, and finish the park’s paved roads in 4-1/2 hours. We beat that time, and felt that we had been there, done that.
There are few views more dramatic than the sudden elevation of the Grand Teton range beyond the Snake River. Towering 7,000 feet over the valley, the rugged mountains dominate the landscape at Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming. Snow, storms, seasonal color or the soft glow of sunrise transform the scene, making it one of the most photogenic places in the world. Photo by Kyle Miller. Posted on Tumblr by the US Department of the Interior on 7/16/17.
The sound of water babbling in a stream. Sunlight streaming through tall trees. The rich smell of the misty forest drifting on the air. Find your perfect nature moment at Olympic National Park in Washington. Photo by Adam Jewell. Posted on Tumblr by the US Department of the Interior, 6/23/17.
Amazing view from the rain forest above Kīlauea crater at Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. Photo by Rick Vega. Tweeted by the US Department of the Interior, 6/19/17.
Rick Scalf and his dad were photographing sunrise at Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado when a rainbow started to appear. “We began shooting the scene in true amazement as this complete rainbow unfolded before our eyes.” Photo by Rick Scalf. Posted on Tumblr by the US Department of the Interior, 6/18/17.
The natural beauty of public lands can stop you in your tracks. When you see the amazing landscapes and stunning sunsets at Badlands National Park in South Dakota, you’ll remember it for the rest of your life. Photo by Donna Schneider. Posted on Tumblr by the US Department of the Interior, 6/17/17.
Wrangell-St. Elias National Park in Alaska is a true wilderness filled with mountains, glaciers, historic sites, and several living cultures. A trip here can be quite different from a park in the lower 48. Flexibility and patience are required – visitor services are limited, access can be challenging, weather varies widely – but the reward is worth the effort! Photo courtesy of Jacob W. Frank, National Park Service. Posted on Tumblr by the US Department of the Interior, 6/13/17.
