Today we were anxious to see the Painted Desert in the northern part of Petrified Forest National Park. As always, we stopped first at the Visitor Center. In addition to the books and souvenirs at the gift shop, beautiful pieces of polished petrified wood were available for purchase. Check out the clocks…because AZ does not follow daylight savings time and the Navajo Nation does (that is partially in AZ), knowing what time it is can be a little tricky.
The Painted Desert is 7,500 square miles in NE Arizona. Deposited 227-205M years ago, the mudstone and sandstone are called the Chinle Formation. As we walked out to Tawa Point, the long-distance views of the desert were amazing. In the distance is the historic Painted Desert Inn.
Originally, Stone Tree House was built at this location by Herbert Lore in the 1920s. He offered 6 small rooms for overnight guests and gave motor tours of the area. It was purchased by the National Park Service in 1936 resulting in its redesign by architect, Lyle Bennett. The new Pueblo Revival Style structure was built by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC).
The panes of the beautiful skylight were hand-painted CCC workers. And the murals of Hopi culture were painted by renowned artist, Fred Kabotie. The inn reopened in 1940, but closed in 1942 due to WWII. It reopened in 1947 under management of the Fred Harvey Company which continued through the 1950s. It was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1987. Work continues to preserve the inn for future generations.
Continuing south on the park road, we stopped at several overlooks for views of the Painted Desert (Chinle, Pintado, and Whipple Points).
Our next stop was at Blue Mesa Trailhead. It is a one-mile loop trail into the heart of the Petrified Forest badlands. And the best part, leashed pets are permitted!
The trail descends into the Blue Mesa basin where we saw canyons, petrified logs in various stages of erosion, and the many colors of the layers of rock.
Check out the many pieces of petrified wood in the basin. The second photo is the remainder of a log on a stone pedestal; a common sight in the park. Eventually, wind and water will cause it, too, to tumble.
This was a great, easy hike…highly recommend! We were so impressed with the unusual beauty of this place. Spend at least two days exploring the park, if you can. For additional information about Petrified Forest National Park, go to www.nps.gov/pefo.
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