Visit date(s):         February 5, 2025

Nearby sites on trip: Grand Canyon 

Overnight locations: Flagstaff and Winslow. For people interested in the architecture of Mary Colter, there is a beautifully restored railway hotel in Winslow. It was a highlight of our week in Arizona. 

Location(s):

• Visitor Centers
• Giant Logs and Puerco Pueblo trails.                                                         (photo of petroglyphs at Puerco Pueblo)
• Almost all overlooks
• Blue Mesa drive
• Painted Desert Inn National Historic Landmark

Travel method(s):  car

Travel duration:  1-2 hours between overnight locations and the park 

Visit duration:  half day

OUV:  The abundance of petrified wood and other fossils provides information about the late Triassic period.  Aside from the fossils, there are pueblo sites, petroglyph’s and the remains of more recent human activity.  Maybe these remnants of other cultures are not as uniquely significant as in other locations, but they do show that people have been interacting with the fossils for a long time.

Best of:  Getting up close and personal with the giant logs.  They are extremely colourful up close.  The painted desert views are also spectacular.

Worst of:  Very open and exposed landscape that would be blisteringly hot in the summer.

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After my first visit years previously, we spent the majority of time viewing the petrified wood in the Southern section of the park, though we did make it to the Painted Desert for a brief drive. If we returned, I promised we would fully explore this area of the park.

North End

I revisited the park in November 2022, exclusively exploring the "Painted Desert" North Entrance area of the park. If this national park is inscribed, it would protect a section of Route 66 (pictured above). Hiking the easy, yet rewarding Painted Desert Rim Trail (1.2 miles) from Tawa Point to the Painted Desert Inn/Kachina Point is an essential experience during the magical hour before sunset. The Painted Desert Inn (built 1937-1940) just off the original alignment of Route 66 is a historic gem of Pueblo Revival Architecture, which includes designs from Mary Jane Colter (also known for her 'Parkitecture' properties at the Grand Canyon). The Painted Desert Inn is a National Historic Landmark. The vistas in the Painted Desert are expansive. The color palette here is special and we enjoyed a few hours before continuing West.

The Petrified Forest National Park has doubled in size since the early 2000's. Much of the expansion land was already being authorized even as the 2008 nomination was officially added to the US Tentative List (from 93,533 acres to 221,390 acres). The values of the park are perhaps more diverse than the originally proposed criteria (vii, viii). I would much prefer the nomination (when and if it comes to fruition) to seek inscription based on cultural and natural criteria. Here is the US ICOMOS World Heritage Celebration Video highlighting the OUV of Petrified Forest National Park. 

For travelers wishing to explore the parks wilderness areas, such as Devil's Playground (three permits are available each week on a first-come-first-serve basis at the Painted Desert Visitor Center only). Additionally, there are also plenty of longer hikes that offer rewarding experiences, such as the Onyx Bridge Hike (4.6 miles). I know for my next revist, I will be looking at one of these opportunities with excitement.

Flick Album

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The Petrified Forest is surreal. You might imagine the surface of another planet would look like this. The landscape is desolate yet beautiful. The fascinating petrified wood is scattered everywhere. The Petrified wood being hundreds of millions of years old, it's a humbling display of our ancient world. The park could be separated into two unique sections, the petrified wood landscape in the south and the Painted Desert in the northern section. You need at least 2-3 hrs to visit the park properly. Enjoy this wondrous place, and if you go in the summer bring an umbrella and sun tan lotion.

South End

This is the section of the park where you will see large quantities of petrified wood scattered on the barren desert floor. The short walks offer rewarding vistas of hills littered with petrified wood. One can only imagine the ancient forests that used to thrive here, because the reality now is an extremely dry desert.

Recently, the park has expanded to include large areas to the East and West. This area includes countless petroglyphs and a section of Route 66 is protected in the park. The proximity of this NPS site is near Navajo Nation, which should be on anyone's itinerary if you have the time. Flagstaff is the nearest location for a central point to make trips in this part of Arizona.

Flickr Album

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