Petrified Forest National Park

Petrified Forest National Park

Sunday, October 20, 2019

We were staying at Holbrook / Petrified Forest KOA Journey.    There were two obvious routes to take from the KOA to the park.

Route From Holbrook/Petrified Forest KOA Journey To Petrified Forest National Park And Back
Route From Holbrook/Petrified Forest KOA Journey To Petrified Forest National Park And Back

Interstate 40 passes through the National Park.  Since the park’s main road is a north-south road, we had to enter either from the north or south.  We chose the closer south entrance.

Petrified Forest Gift Shop South Of Petrified Forest National Park South Entrance
Petrified Forest Gift Shop South Of Petrified Forest National Park South Entrance

Two businesses flanked both sides of the highway south of the park’s south entrance.  One was a gift shop.

Crystal Forest Museum, Gift Shop And RV Park South Of Petrified Forest National Park South Entrance
Crystal Forest Museum, Gift Shop And RV Park South Of Petrified Forest National Park South Entrance

The second business billed itself as a museum, gift shop and RV park.

Waiting For Petrified Forest National Park South Gate To Open
Waiting For Petrified Forest National Park South Gate To Open

We pulled up to the south Petrified Forest National Park entrance before 8:00, the time the park gates open.

Petrified Forest National Park South Gate Opening
Petrified Forest National Park South Gate Opening

Promptly at 8:00, the gates opened.

Petrified Forest National Park Sign
Petrified Forest National Park Sign

Once inside the gate, our first stop was to get our National Park sign picture.  In the picture’s foreground are two petrified wood logs.  One log was on its end and the other was laying down.

Ranger Staffed Pay Station
Ranger Staffed Entrance Station

We were expecting to show up at the Ranger’s window, show our National Parks Pass and just get a visitor guide and map.   Then, as a bonus, we received a lecture on leaving the artifacts in the park unmolested.

Petrified Forest National Park Map
Petrified Forest National Park Map

It might not have helped to have looked at the map before arriving in the park.  The park is much more than just a petrified forest.  The petrified logs are just the main attraction,  that weird unique thing that makes the park special.

Petrified Forest National Park Rainbow Forest Visitor Center
Petrified Forest National Park Rainbow Forest Museum And Visitor Center

The next thing down the road was what initially looked like a Ranger Station and Visitor Center.

Petrified Forest National Park Rainbow Forest Museum and Visitor Center
Petrified Forest National Park Rainbow Forest Museum and Visitor Center

We had arrived at the Rainbow Forest Museum and Visitor Center.   On the inside, it looked like the usual National Park Service Ranger Station.  Museum with displays and artifacts. Gift shop.  Ranger behind a desk to answer questions.

Dinosaur Bones/Fossils
Dinosaur Bones/Fossils

Much of the display space was devoted to fossils, some of which included dinosaur bones.  Relatively little space was provided to petrified wood.

Video Describing Park Features
Video Describing Park Features

In the museum’s theater, a video running every ½ hour describes the park’s many wonders.

Gift Shop
Gift Shop

The ranger’s desk is on the left of the gift shop and the gift shop cash register is on the right.  A petrified forest, the Giant Logs Trail, is outside the museum’s back door.

Petrified Forest National Park Giant Logs Trail
Petrified Forest National Park Giant Logs Trail

Petrified logs, whole and in sections, are scattered along the Giant Logs Trail behind the museum.

Petrified Forest National Park Giant Logs Trail
Petrified Forest National Park Giant Logs Trail

In the pictures, the petrified logs look like some sort of exotic tree trunks.  The grain says wood.  But the color and texture says stone.  All of these stone tree trunks scattered over a desert hillside seems like an environmental catastrophe envisioned in the darkest Science Fiction writing.  Knowing that an environmental catastrophe is not the cause doesn’t change that “end-of-the-world” feeling.

Rainbow Forest Lodge Gift Shop
Rainbow Forest Lodge Gift Shop

Located on the same parking lot as the Ranger Station, Rainbow Forest Lodge Gift Shop carries souvenirs including petrified wood legally obtained outside the park.

Rainbow Forest Lodge Gift Shop Petrified Wood Displays
Rainbow Forest Lodge Gift Shop Petrified Wood Displays

The petrified wood items were particularly nice.  I was considering buying a beautiful shiny smooth petrified wood souvenir until I saw the prices.  The small pieces I liked were in the $30 to $100 range.

Rainbow Forest Lodge Gift Shop Pottery
Rainbow Forest Lodge Gift Shop Pottery

The pottery was especially beautiful.  I spent some time looking at the pieces.  I believe it was all locally made by Native American craftsmen.

The gift shop also had typical gift shop items like mugs, t-shirts and baseball caps.  All items seemed of good quality.

Petrified Forest National Park Crystal Forest
Petrified Forest National Park Crystal Forest

Crystal Forest is a petrified forest area where the logs are loaded with quartz.  The quartz is supposed to glimmer in the sun.  We did not see glimmering quartz.  However, the petrified logs were pretty cool anyways.

Petrified Forest National Park Jasper Forest
Petrified Forest National Park Jasper Forest Overlook

Just off the Jasper Forest parking lot was an overlook.  There, a view of the river valley stretched out before us.

Petrified Forest National Park Jasper Forest
Petrified Forest National Park Jasper Forest

It wasn’t until I looked at the base of the hill directly below the overlook that we saw petrified wood.  Lots and lots of petrified wood.   In the above picture, the petrified wood is in the shadows between the hill we were on and the jumble of boulders.

Petrified Forest National Park Agate Bridge
Petrified Forest National Park Agate Bridge

Agate Bridge is a 110 foot petrified log spanning a gully.  The gully is at most 40 feet across.  Concern that the log might break in half and fall into the gully led a group to reinforce the log by placing a concrete beam directly under it.  The concrete is visible in the above picture.

Petrified Forest National Park Blue Mesa 180 Degree Panorama
Petrified Forest National Park Blue Mesa 180 Degree Panorama

Blue Mesa has a 3½ mile loop with panoramic views.

Petrified Forest National Park Blue Mesa
Petrified Forest National Park Blue Mesa

Looking down from the top along the edges of the mesa,  petrified logs are scattered everywhere.

Petrified Forest National Park Tepees
Petrified Forest National Park Tepees

The Tepees help visitors visualize layering.  Layers are clearly visible.

Petrified Forest National Park Newspaper Rock Viewing Area
Petrified Forest National Park Newspaper Rock Viewing Area

Humans have lived in the park for at least 13,000 years. There are signs of ancient human habitation at newspaper rock.

Petrified Forest National Park Newspaper Rock
Petrified Forest National Park Newspaper Rock

Newspaper Rock is covered by petroglyphs created before Europeans came to the Americas.

Petrified Forest National Park Puerco Pueblo Ruins
Petrified Forest National Park Puerco Pueblo Ruins

Puerco Pueblo is the sight of an ancestral Puebloan village.

Petrified Forest National Park Puerco Pueblo Ruins
Petrified Forest National Park Puerco Pueblo Ruins

The village was big.  The outer wall’s foundation, even though the camera makes it look curved, is really a big square.

Petrified Forest National Park Puerco Pueblo Summer Solstice Marker
Petrified Forest National Park Puerco Pueblo Summer Solstice Marker

The Puerco Pueblo people had a summer solstice marker.  On the longest day of the year, sun would shine through the notch on the top of the big left rock and (see picture below) illuminate a squiggly line on the right hand rock.

Petrified Forest National Park Puerco Pueblo Solar Marker
Petrified Forest National Park Puerco Pueblo Solar Marker

Inside the green circle, there is a spiral line.  On the summer solstice, the center of the spiral is lit.

Route 66 Passed Through Petrified Forest National Park
Route 66 Passed Through Petrified Forest National Park

Route 66 passed through Petrified Forest National Park.  Now, I-40 passes through the park in nearly the same spot.

Route 66 Memorial
Route 66 Memorial

The memorial has the remains of a Ford Model T and a bumper and grill from what looks like a a fifties or sixties era Cadillac bumper and grill.

Petrified Forest National Park Pullout
Petrified Forest National Park Pullout

We did a couple of pullouts (Lacey Point, Whipple Point or Nizhoni Point) along the road.  The desert scenery was really good.

Petrified Forest National Park Pintado Point Views
Petrified Forest National Park Pintado Point Views

Pintado Point also had pretty good views.

Petrified Forest National Park Pintado Point
Petrified Forest National Park Pintado Point

From the parking lot, visitors can take the sidewalk to higher ground providing a panoramic view of the desert.

Petrified Forest National Park Painted Desert Inn
Petrified Forest National Park Painted Desert Inn

Painted Desert Inn, now a National Historic Landmark, was completed in 1920.  It was built using wood and native stone in the Pueblo Revival style.  The National Park Service bought the hotel in 1935.  In 1939, the Fred Harvey Company took over management of the property.  In 1947, the Fred Harvey Company hired the famous architect Mary Colter to finish renovations started by the National Park Service several years before.  The latest round of renovations completed in 2006.

Petrified Forest National Park Painted Desert Inn Interior
Petrified Forest National Park Painted Desert Inn Interior

The inn’s interior is stunning.  It looks organic – grown out of the desert ground and decorated with southwestern Native American themes.

Petrified Forest National Park Painted Desert Inn Restaurant Booth
Petrified Forest National Park Painted Desert Inn Restaurant Booth

The above picture shows southwestern Native American themed artwork above the restaurant booth.

We had to pass by the north Entrance Station before getting to the Painted Desert Visitor Center.  Approaching the Entrance Station we saw signs instructing us to stop on the way out.  Apparently, having visitors stop on the way out helps keep the petrified wood and other artifacts in the park.  The ranger took one look at us and waved us through.

Petrified Forest National Park Painted Desert Visitor Center
Petrified Forest National Park Painted Desert Visitor Center

Painted Desert Visitor Center is the northern visitor center.  It is a short distance from an exit on I-40.

Petrified Forest National Park Painted Desert Visitor Center Gift Shop
Petrified Forest National Park Painted Desert Visitor Center Gift Shop

The Painted Desert Visitor Center has a modest gift shop area inside the Ranger Station.

Petrified Forest National Park Painted Desert Visitor Center Petrified Wood Example
Petrified Forest National Park Painted Desert Visitor Center Petrified Wood Example

A few polished petrified wood logs were on display in the visitor center.  Polishing stones like this really brings out the colors.

Petrified Forest National Park Painted Desert Diner
Petrified Forest National Park Painted Desert Diner

The door into the Painted Desert Oasis is to the left of the visitor center.  We went inside for lunch and to look around in the gift shop.

Petrified Forest National Park Painted Desert Diner
Petrified Forest National Park Painted Desert Diner

Lunch portions were small for the price but the food was really good.  I would eat here again.

Petrified Forest National Park Painted Desert Oasis Gift Shop
Petrified Forest National Park Painted Desert Oasis Gift Shop

The petrified wood souvenirs in the Desert Oasis Gift Shop were just as expensive as the ones at the Rainbow Forest Lodge Gift Shop.  Polished stone prices are expensive.

Petrified Forest National Park Gas Station
Petrified Forest National Park Gas Station

Before leaving the park, we stopped at the gas station to fill up.  Gas prices were $2.899 per gallon for regular unleaded gasoline.  This seems like a high price compared to San Antonio or St. Louis.  However, it is cheap compared to Death Valley at $4.60 per gallon or Grand Canyon at $4.199 per gallon.

We drove back to the KOA along I-40.

Hope to see you on the road ahead!

 

 

 

 

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