Archive for the ‘Petrified Forest’ Tag
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!
Here is what we saw.
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National Park Service: Petrified Forest National Park
MowryJournal.com 2014: Petrified Forest National Park
The Eagles 1977: Take It Easy
Nat King Cole: Route 66
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Have you ever seen lightning make such crazy shapes? This bolt looks like a Tyrannosaurus rex getting ready to chomp a formation at Blue Mesa in Arizona’s Petrified Forest National Park. Monsoons usher in summer lightning, so explore safely and be sure to check the weather. Photo by Hallie Larsen, National Park Service. Posted on Tumblr by the US Department of the Interior, 8/17/16.
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In southern New Mexico, Dripping Springs Natural Area not only has stunning natural beauty, it also tells the story of the western frontier. Homesteaders settled here along stagecoach routes, later the springs supported a resort during the time of Billy the Kid and it served as a sanatorium before it was eventually abandoned. Now the area is managed by @mypubliclands and is known for hiking through desert scrub, lovely low elevation woodlands and excellent wildlife viewing. Photo by Ria Cabral. Posted on Tumblr by the US Department of the Interior, 3/10/16.
Utah’s Bryce Canyon National Park, as seen from Farview Point. Photo by Phillip Abrams. Tweeted by the US Department of the Interior, 3/27/16.
Arizona’s Petried Forest National Park. Photo by Michael Reed. Tweeted by the US Department of the Interior, 3/30/16.
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The colorful hills, flat-topped mesas and sculptured buttes of the Painted Desert in Petrified Forest National Park are primarily made up of river sediment deposited over 200 million years ago. Erosion has shaped intriguing landforms and the rocks reveal an enthralling chronicle of time that is unfolding and ever-changing.
Protecting much of this unique landscape in Arizona has been made possible through $15 million in funding from the Land and Water Conservation Fund. Established by Congress in 1965, the fund uses earning from offshore oil and gas leasing – not taxpayer dollars – to protect lands, waters and historic sites. It is a critical tool for preserving our nation’s natural beauty and cultural identity. Posted on Tumblr by the US Department of the Interior, 10/2/15.
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Petrified Forest National Park
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Utah’s Great Basin National Park in fall color. Tweeted by the US Department of the Interior, 9/28/15.
An amazing view of Fredericksburg & Spotsylvania National Military Park. During battles spread out over years, the Civil War raged on Virginia’s forests and fields. More than a 150 years after the guns fell silent, these battlefields — preserved for their historical importance — now serve as critical natural landscapes and habitat for wildlife. Photo by Buddy Secor, National Park Service Volunteer. From an article on the US Department of the Interior website, “Five Amazing Places Protected By the Land and Water Conservation Fund.”
The colorful hills, flat-topped mesas and sculptured buttes of the Painted Desert in Petrified Forest National Park are primarily made up of river sediment deposited over 200 million years ago. Erosion has shaped intriguing landforms and the rocks reveal an enthralling chronicle of time that is unfolding and ever-changing. From an article on the US Department of the Interior website, “Five Amazing Places Protected By the Land and Water Conservation Fund.”
Florida’s Everglades National Park. Posted on Tumblr by the US Department of the Interior, 9/28/15.
Grand Teton National Park in the fall. Tweeted by the US Department of the Interior, 9/30/15.
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Where Is It: The Park is 109 miles east of Flagstaff, AZ, just off I-40.
It Happened Here: From NationalGeographic.com:
Much of the quartz that replaced the wood tissue 200 million years ago is tinted in rainbow hues. Many visitors cannot resist taking rocks, despite strict regulations and stiff fines against removing any material. To see if the petrified wood was actually disappearing at an alarming rate, resource managers established survey plots with a specific number of pieces of wood; some were nearly barren in less than a week.
The problem is not new. Military survey parties passing through the region in the 1850s filled their saddlebags with the petrified wood. As word of these remarkable deposits spread, fossil logs were hauled off by the wagonload for tabletops, lamps, and mantels. In the 1890s gem collectors began dynamiting logs searching for amethyst and quartz crystals. To prevent further destruction of its unique bounty, the area was designated a national monument in 1906 and a national park more than a half century later.
Size: 221,552 acres
# Visitors: 644,648 in 2013. Attendance peaks in July, and is least in December.
Choices:Â From NationalParkTraveler.com:
(T)he park road runs just 28 miles through its 93,532 acres, so unless you exhibit some discipline you’ll cruise down the pavement, stop momentarily at the 22 overlooks, and be gone in a very small number of hours.
But if you prepare for a visit by studying a primer on the Late Triassic Period and the ensuing 200+ million years, and familiarize yourself with what’s to see and where to see it, you’ll arrive not only with a rudimentary knowledge of the wonders that exist within Petrified Forest’s borders, but also with a game plan for exploring this wondrous landscape.
Fees: Private vehicles are $10 for a 7 day pass.
Staying There: There are no developed campsites in the Park … perhaps to protect the natural resources that seem to walk out all too easily.
Contact Info:
1 Park Road
P.O. Box 2217
Petrified Forest, AZ 86028
(928) 524-6228
From the Park’s Facebook page.
From the Park’s Facebook page.
From the Park’s Facebook page.
From the Park’s Facebook page.
From the Park’s Facebook page.
From the Park’s website.
From the Park’s website.
Collared lizard. From the Park’s website.
American pronghorn. From the Park’s website.
Long-eared owl. From the Park’s website.
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National Park Service: Petrified Forest National Park
JasonsTravels: A Drive Through The Petrified Forest National Park
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