Petrified Forest National Park
link to Park

including the Painted Desert

Located in Northeastern Arizona this dramatic landscape provides a vivid display with banded hues of red, orange, pink and gray. Established as a national monument in 1906 and as a national park in 1962. The park, encompassing part of the Painted Desert, contains six separate "forests" of fallen petrified coniferous tree trunks. Some trunks are 2 m (6 ft) in diameter and exceed 30 m (100 ft) in length. One arched log forms a natural bridge, Agate Bridge, with a span of 12 m (40 ft). The trees originally grew in the Triassic Period (225 to 195 million years ago) when the region was a marshland. Killed by natural processes, the trees were buried by sediment and penetrated by waters rich in silica. Gradually the wood fibers were replaced by silica and other minerals, and the logs were converted to stone. Traces of iron, manganese, and carbon stained the silica so that the logs are brilliantly colored. The covering sediment was removed by the elements in later geologic times, exposing many logs to view. Ancient Native American pueblos, one built of petrified wood, and petroglyphs (rock pictures) are other features of the park. Area, 378.4 sq km (146.1 sq mi).

Source- Encarta 97

Here is our view...

Kelly, Stacy, and Buddy perched on trees millions of years old, petrified into rock.

This picture does not capture the beauty or the colors of this vivid desert. The sun peeked through occasionally, it was like turning on a light switch. It is hard to tell from this picture, but we were lucky to see water running through the desert from recent rare rains.

We spent most of the morning and into the afternoon hiking trails and taking in the vistas. It was Super Bowl Sunday and we were headed to Phoenix to watch the game with friends. From here we traveled south through Payson, AZ, and the Tonto National Forest. The drive was a stark contrast to the desert as we climbed to elevations in excess of 7,000 ft. The snow was heavy, the pine forest immense. A few hours later we arrived in Chandler, AZ, virtually at sea level. Such is Arizona.