Petrified Forest National Park

Our campground is an easy hour drive to the Petrified Forest National Park. The drive there took us through a lot of flat country with little vegetation, but there were a number of Indian gift shops and ranches with cows grazing as well as some interesting rock outcrops.

We entered the park on the south end and hiked through the Rainbow Forest of petrified trees. The walk at the visitors’ center is worth the effort. The “trees” are outstanding. It’s hard to believe that they are rock and not wood. From there we headed north through the park stopping at all the various pull-offs.

The best part of the day was a walk down into the valley from the Jasper Forest lookout. We walked for about two miles among the petrified trees and bad lands. Once we descended from the lookout it was a mostly flat walk all the way to the old road that was replaced in 1965. We could have walked the old road in either direction, but rain was threatening and we thought it was best to hike back to the van.

After more stops and many more pictures, we finished the tour at the Painted Desert end of the park. We plan to return when, we hope, the skies will be bluer. We drove back to our campground in a steady rain.

-- Janet (text) and David (photos)