06/11: Petrified Forest National Park
Category: General
Posted by: The Agnew Family
The Petrified Forest National Park has one of the world's largest and most colourful concentrations of petrified wood. It is set in the multi-hued badlands of the Painted Desert. This park is conveniently located with one entrance right on highway 40. A 28 mile road, with lots of places to stop, takes you through the park to the other exit. A lot of people pass through the park on the way to their next destination thus only spending a couple of hours in the park. Ed and I recommend that you give the park a full day as we did --- it was worth it.
A trail along the rim gives you fabulous views of the Painted Desert.
At Kachina point you will find the Painted Desert Inn. It was renovated by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930's. Inside we met a Hopi artist.
The colours of the Painted Desert change as you drive through the park.
Route 66 ran through the park and was route used by many tourists to get here. This part of Route 66 has now been replaced by highway 40. The old car is a reminder of the past.
Puerco Pueblo is 100 room pueblo built about 1250 along side the Puerco River. There are some remains of the building along with petroglyphs (pictures scratched into the rock).
The Tepees are cone shaped formations --- layered blues, purples and greys created by iron, carbon, manganese and other minerals.
Petrified logs lay among the hills of the Blue Mesa.
Walking the trail in the Blue Mesa. The trail requires hiking down and later back up a steep incline so we had the place to ourselves --- very quiet and very beautiful.
Looking down on the area where we walked.
The Crystal Forest trail took you up close and personal to large pieces of petrified logs. Depending on the minerals, some pieces were very colourful while others were the colour of wood.
Zaph and I showing how large some of the logs are.
The logs are buried in the ground and appear over time as the soil erodes. The quartz within the petrified wood is hard and brittle, fracturing easily when subjected to stress.
Old Faithful is one of the largest logs in the park and measure 10 feet across at the base.
Agate House is a partial restored pueblo of petrified wood.
A trail along the rim gives you fabulous views of the Painted Desert.
At Kachina point you will find the Painted Desert Inn. It was renovated by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930's. Inside we met a Hopi artist.
The colours of the Painted Desert change as you drive through the park.
Route 66 ran through the park and was route used by many tourists to get here. This part of Route 66 has now been replaced by highway 40. The old car is a reminder of the past.
Puerco Pueblo is 100 room pueblo built about 1250 along side the Puerco River. There are some remains of the building along with petroglyphs (pictures scratched into the rock).
The Tepees are cone shaped formations --- layered blues, purples and greys created by iron, carbon, manganese and other minerals.
Petrified logs lay among the hills of the Blue Mesa.
Walking the trail in the Blue Mesa. The trail requires hiking down and later back up a steep incline so we had the place to ourselves --- very quiet and very beautiful.
Looking down on the area where we walked.
The Crystal Forest trail took you up close and personal to large pieces of petrified logs. Depending on the minerals, some pieces were very colourful while others were the colour of wood.
Zaph and I showing how large some of the logs are.
The logs are buried in the ground and appear over time as the soil erodes. The quartz within the petrified wood is hard and brittle, fracturing easily when subjected to stress.
Old Faithful is one of the largest logs in the park and measure 10 feet across at the base.
Agate House is a partial restored pueblo of petrified wood.