Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
107
Fun Facts
Rock Talk
Gift shops throughout this region sell petrified wood in all sizes and colors, natu-
ral and polished. This petrified wood does not come from the national park, but
is collected on private land in the area. No piece of petrified wood, no matter
how small, may be removed from Petrified Forest National Park.
Heading north, you'll pass by the unusual formations known as the
Flattops.
These
structures were caused by the erosion of softer mineral deposits from beneath a harder
and more erosion-resistant layer of sandstone. The Flattops is one of the park's wilderness
areas. The
Crystal Forest
is the next stop to the north, named for the beautiful amethyst
and quartz crystals once found in the cracks of petrified logs. Concern over the removal
of these crystals was what led to the protection of the petrified forest. A .75-mile loop
trail winds past the logs that once held the crystals.
At the
Jasper Forest Overlook,
you can see logs that include petrified roots, and a
little bit farther north, at the
Agate Bridge
stop, you can see a petrified log that forms a
natural agate bridge. Continuing north, you'll reach
Blue Mesa,
where pieces of petrified
wood form capstones over easily eroded clay soils. As wind and water wear away at the
clay beneath a piece of stone, the balance of the stone becomes more and more precarious
until it eventually comes toppling down. A 1-mile loop trail here leads into the park's
badlands.
Erosion has played a major role in the formation of the Painted Desert, and to the
north of Blue Mesa you'll see some of the most interesting erosional features of the area.
It's quite evident why these hills of sandstone and clay are known as the
Teepees.
The
layers of different color are due to manganese, iron, and other minerals in the soil.
By this point, you've probably seen as much petrified wood as you'd ever care to see,
so be sure to stop at
Newspaper Rock,
where instead of staring at more ancient logs, you
can see a dense concentration of petroglyphs left by generations of Native Americans.
Unfortunately you can no longer get close to these petroglyphs, so you'll have to be
content to observe them from a distance. At nearby
Puerco Pueblo,
the park's largest
archaeological site, you can view the remains of homes built by the people who created
the park's petroglyphs. This pueblo was probably occupied around a.d. 1400. Don't miss
the petroglyphs on its back side.
North of Puerco Pueblo, the road crosses I-40. From here to the Painted Desert Visi-
tor Center, there are eight overlooks onto the southernmost edge of the
Painted Desert.
Named for the vivid colors of the soil and stone that cover the land here, the Painted
Desert is a dreamscape of pastels washed across a barren expanse of eroded hills. The
colors are created by minerals dissolved in sandstone and clay soils that were deposited
during different geologic periods. There's a picnic area at Chinde Point overlook. At
Kachina Point, you'll find the
Painted Desert Inn,
a renovated historic building that is
operated as a bookstore and museum. From here, there's access to the park's other wilder-
ness area. The inn, which was built in 1924 and expanded by the Civilian Conservation
Corps, is noteworthy for both its architecture and the Fred Kabotie murals on the inte-
rior walls. Hours are 9am to 5pm daily. Between Kachina Point and Tawa Point, you can
do an easy 1-mile round-trip hike along the rim of the Painted Desert. An even more
interesting route leads down into the Painted Desert from behind the Painted Desert
Inn.
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