Petrified Forest National Park
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Petrified Forest National Park and the Painted Desert made time feel enormous. We stopped at almost every overlook and trail and each offered its own unique story. From ancient petroglyphs and pueblo remains to the vast, colorful badlands, this landscape was surreal. 220 million years ago, these trees stood in a lush landscape near the equator as part of Pangea. It's astounding to consider the passage of time and the natural processes that transformed these trees into stone.
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A highlight was the Blue Mesa Trail, a short but steep loop through hills streaked in purples, grays, and pale blues. The colors come from layers of bentonite clay, formed from volcanic ash over millions of years.
Another remarkable site was the Agate House, a pueblo built almost entirely of petrified wood. It's a testament to the resourcefulness of the ancestral Puebloan people. The structure was beautiful with deep reds, purples, and golds.
Two of the petroglyphs felt like little nods to our week in Northern Arizona. One looked like a big bird with a critter in its beak, just like the Crested Seriema we saw at Bearizona with his miniature toy gator. Another looked like an astronaut, which immediately took me back to the astronaut at the bottom of Meteor Crater. Funny how ancient rock art ended up echoing some of the most memorable moments from the trip. A few looked like emojis, proof that smiley faces have always been a thing.
Petrified Forest is the only national park with a section of historic Route 66 running right through it. You can still see the remains of an old Studebaker car and the site of an old tourist lodge from the Route 66 heyday. This place surprised me with more than just ancient trees.
After a full day of exploring, we headed back toward Flagstaff, hoping to finally score a boondocking spot for the night. We tried near Walnut Canyon, but struck out. The main forest road was posted with no camping signs, and side roads were either fenced off or blocked with dirt berms. Clearly a former boondocking area, but not anymore. As dusk closed in, we bailed to a Cracker Barrel parking lot. Between the freight trains and highway traffic, it wasn’t exactly our best night.
Another remarkable site was the Agate House, a pueblo built almost entirely of petrified wood. It's a testament to the resourcefulness of the ancestral Puebloan people. The structure was beautiful with deep reds, purples, and golds.
Two of the petroglyphs felt like little nods to our week in Northern Arizona. One looked like a big bird with a critter in its beak, just like the Crested Seriema we saw at Bearizona with his miniature toy gator. Another looked like an astronaut, which immediately took me back to the astronaut at the bottom of Meteor Crater. Funny how ancient rock art ended up echoing some of the most memorable moments from the trip. A few looked like emojis, proof that smiley faces have always been a thing.
Petrified Forest is the only national park with a section of historic Route 66 running right through it. You can still see the remains of an old Studebaker car and the site of an old tourist lodge from the Route 66 heyday. This place surprised me with more than just ancient trees.
After a full day of exploring, we headed back toward Flagstaff, hoping to finally score a boondocking spot for the night. We tried near Walnut Canyon, but struck out. The main forest road was posted with no camping signs, and side roads were either fenced off or blocked with dirt berms. Clearly a former boondocking area, but not anymore. As dusk closed in, we bailed to a Cracker Barrel parking lot. Between the freight trains and highway traffic, it wasn’t exactly our best night.