Meteor Crater and Winslow Arizona
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We decided to take a side journey east to Petrified Forest National Park, about a two-hour drive from Flagstaff. We turned it into an overnight, with a few well-chosen stops along the way. Our first stop was Meteor Crater, one of those places that immediately resets your sense of scale. During the Ice Age, a massive iron meteor slammed into Arizona, carving out a crater nearly a mile wide and about 550 feet deep. Standing on the rim, it’s impossible not to feel small. Meteor Crater sits just off Interstate 40. It’s privately owned but designated a National Natural Landmark. The visitor center has exhibits, viewing platforms, and guided rim tours, though hiking down into the crater isn’t allowed.
Meteor Crater
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For a long time, scientists debated what caused the crater. Many thought it was volcanic, mostly because there wasn’t a giant meteor sitting at the bottom. In the early 1900s, mining engineer Daniel Barringer bet his fortune on a different idea. He believed the crater was formed by a meteor impact, bought the land, and spent decades drilling for the missing iron mass. He never found it, because most of it vaporized on impact, but he did uncover plenty of iron fragments.
Decades later, geologist Eugene Shoemaker finally proved Barringer right by identifying rare high-pressure minerals that can only form during meteor impacts or nuclear explosions. NASA later used the site to train Apollo astronauts, including the crew of Apollo 13. Near one of Barringer’s old mining shafts, there’s now a solitary astronaut suit standing quietly at the base of the crater.
After that, we drove a little farther east and made another essential Arizona stop. Yep, we stood on the corner in Winslow, AZ. Even better, we met Ron Adamson, the sculptor who created the famous statue on the corner. He was there selling T-shirts, and yes, I bought one. It’s a quick stop, but a fun one. Eagles lyrics, a red flatbed Ford, Route 66 vibes, and a heavy dose of Americana. Totally worth the leg stretch and photo.
We reached Petrified Forest National Park later that afternoon, with limited time before closing. Park roads close at sunset, and most visitor centers shut earlier, so we focused on a few highlights. We started at the Petrified Forest Visitor Center, which has excellent exhibits explaining how the trees became petrified, along with displays on the park’s geology, fossils, and human history. It was a great primer for what we were about to see outside.
From there, we walked the Giant Logs Trail, an easy loop that passes enormous petrified tree trunks scattered across the desert floor, some stretching more than 100 feet long. We explored the Crystal Forest Trail, where broken chunks of petrified wood glitter with exposed quartz and mineral crystals. The reds, yellows, and purples stood out sharply against the muted desert surroundings.
As the park closed for the day, we exited near the Crystal Forest Museum & Gift Shop, which offers a free boondocking lot right by the park entrance. We had a brief tire-spinning moment in some mud but made it out fine. The night was quiet, dark, and exactly what we needed after a full day of driving, history, and detours.
Decades later, geologist Eugene Shoemaker finally proved Barringer right by identifying rare high-pressure minerals that can only form during meteor impacts or nuclear explosions. NASA later used the site to train Apollo astronauts, including the crew of Apollo 13. Near one of Barringer’s old mining shafts, there’s now a solitary astronaut suit standing quietly at the base of the crater.
After that, we drove a little farther east and made another essential Arizona stop. Yep, we stood on the corner in Winslow, AZ. Even better, we met Ron Adamson, the sculptor who created the famous statue on the corner. He was there selling T-shirts, and yes, I bought one. It’s a quick stop, but a fun one. Eagles lyrics, a red flatbed Ford, Route 66 vibes, and a heavy dose of Americana. Totally worth the leg stretch and photo.
We reached Petrified Forest National Park later that afternoon, with limited time before closing. Park roads close at sunset, and most visitor centers shut earlier, so we focused on a few highlights. We started at the Petrified Forest Visitor Center, which has excellent exhibits explaining how the trees became petrified, along with displays on the park’s geology, fossils, and human history. It was a great primer for what we were about to see outside.
From there, we walked the Giant Logs Trail, an easy loop that passes enormous petrified tree trunks scattered across the desert floor, some stretching more than 100 feet long. We explored the Crystal Forest Trail, where broken chunks of petrified wood glitter with exposed quartz and mineral crystals. The reds, yellows, and purples stood out sharply against the muted desert surroundings.
As the park closed for the day, we exited near the Crystal Forest Museum & Gift Shop, which offers a free boondocking lot right by the park entrance. We had a brief tire-spinning moment in some mud but made it out fine. The night was quiet, dark, and exactly what we needed after a full day of driving, history, and detours.