Petrified Forest National Park

Wednesday, April 5 — Saturday, April 8

I admit it.  Of all the parks I had scheduled to visit in 2017, Petrified Forest was not at the top of my “must-see” list.  Yet I enjoyed it so much that I extended my stay there by a day, leaving on Saturday instead of Friday. In hindsight, I now realize it is one of the hidden gems of the national park system.

My stint at Petrified Forest started auspiciously.  I had been communicating with Kip, a park ranger, in advance of my arrival, informing him of my grand plan to see a multitude of parks this spring and summer.  Just before I arrived, he gave me good news:  he had arranged for me to stay in a “casita” inside the park that was typically reserved for volunteers.  In return, he simply asked I spread the good word about Petrified Forest.  Because there are no established campgrounds in the park, I would have otherwise been commuting to and from an Airbnb 25 miles away, so I was thrilled with his generosity!

Pimp My Ride, National Park edition

First, a note about the park itself.  It is relatively small, with a single 28-mile road running north-south through it.  Many visitors, I learned, visit for a morning or afternoon, often on their way to the Grand Canyon or Sedona.  They drive through the park, stop for a few photos, and go on their merry way.  To encourage longer visits and a more thorough exploration, the park has established a series of hikes titled “Off the Beaten Path.”  Kip provided me with ample information on them, which I cannot recommend highly enough.

Several of these hikes are worth mentioning.  For one, Martha’s Butte is a rather nondescript formation about a mile off the park road.  There are no signs leading visitors to the butte or signifying its features.  Its lack of advertisement makes the payoff all the more stunning:  prominent petroglyphs etched in the surrounding rocks, clear as daylight.

An ancient visage of two birds in harmony — an omen for Orioles’ and Ravens’ success in 2017?

Hikers can walk right up to these petroglyphs.  But no touching!

The rock’s shadow during the summer solstice sunrise perfectly bisects this spiral

Another excellent “Off the Beaten Path” hike is the Historic Blue Forest Trail.  Constructed between 1934 and 1937 by the Civilian Conservation Corps, the trail and short road leading to it were maintained until 1955.  Subsequently, a separate road and trail were set up to take visitors up to the famous Blue Mesa.  The original trail still exists, however.  As I strolled past the ruins of a 1930s parking lot and climbed up a trail established when my grandparents were children, I felt like I was walking back in time.  The palette of colors along the 1.5-mile trail includes shades of gray, blue, brown, white, and lavender.

The Teepes, viewed from the Historic Blue Forest Trail

The Blue Mesa over my shoulder

One final hike to note is a walk through the Jasper Forest.  I neglected to cover the entire length of it, called the First Forest Point.  I was so stunned by the abundance and size of the petrified wood around me that I simply sat down to stare at it all, midway through my journey.  There are just as many impressive pieces of petrified wood here as the popular Giant Logs and Long Logs near the visitors center.  But those walks on paved trails can be filled with visitors, whereas wandering alone through the dry washes of the Jasper Forest made me feel much closer to the artifacts.

A petrified tree stump in the Jasper Forest, nearly as tall as me

Petrified wood in the Jasper Forest and elsewhere has broken so cleanly, visitors ask whether it was cut by chainsaw

One night, I chose to take a break for the comforts of the casita and camp in the wilderness at the north end of the park.  Although there are no official campgrounds in Petrified Forest, backcountry camping is permitted in certain areas.  I set off not long before sunset so I could watch the Painted Desert dazzle in the evening light.  Just as the stars were coming out, I reached my destination:  the Onyx Bridge, a remarkably well-preserved petrified Triassic conifer log that is roughly 210 million years old.  I camped nearby and enjoyed the cold but clear night.

The Painted Desert wilderness area

Onyx Bridge at dusk

The massive and sturdy Onyx Bridge

I enjoyed plenty of hikes and attractions not mentioned above:  Agate House, Crystal Forest, Pintado Point, Newspaper Rock, the old Route 66 intersection, and more.  The point being that there is too much to fully appreciate here in a two-hour drive-through.  When I finally bid farewell to the Petrified Forest, I left with a much deeper appreciation of its rich history and geologic features.  Do yourself a favor and spend several days here — not as a stopover on your way to the Grand Canyon, but as a destination in and of itself.