Heading to Petrified Forest National Park, or wondering whether you should pay the northern Arizona park a visit? We've got a guide to help you figure out how best to explore the park, one that just might convince those on the fence to add it to their bucket list.
Traveler's Essential Guide To Petrified Forest National Park gives you a lay of the land:
Threads of the Late Triassic Period more than 200 million years ago run rampant through Petrified Forest National Park, and not just in the trunks of stone trees that dot this multi-hued landscape in northeastern Arizona.
Teasing those threads out, though, takes a keen eye, and time. Unfortunately, the park road runs just 28 miles through its 93,532 acres, so unless you exhibit some discipline you'll cruise down the pavement, stop momentarily at the 22 overlooks, and be gone in a very small number of hours.
But if you prepare for a visit by studying a primer on the Late Triassic Period and the ensuing 200+ million years, and familiarize yourself with what's to see and where to see it, you'll arrive not only with a rudimentary knowledge of the wonders that exist within Petrified Forest's borders, but also with a game plan for exploring this wondrous landscape.
And within this guide you'll find sections on park history, geology, hiking, wildlife, even photography!
And don't forget, our guides continue to grow, so check back from time to time to see what additions have been made!
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Comments
Great! Most people come to this park only to pass through really quick and look at the wood and maybe take a photo op for the Painted Desert overlooks. One of the least appreciated aspects of the park, however, is the Colorado Plateau "desert" that it preserves. Starry nights, aromatic shrubs, and large, open expanses make it a wondeful place to do some backcountry exploration.