Petrified Forest National Park

Cappie’s Scoop: Mom doesn’t take me to many National Parks because it’s just not that much fun. I can only hang in the parking lot, or on paved sidewalks or watching from the car when it’s not hot outside. But this time, pets on a leash are welcome on trails! So I was able to see most of the things on the scenic drive. I even got to SMELL the petrified wood which is what this park is most known for – they have a huge collection just laying around. I thought they looked more like rocks and not tree logs. Don’t hesitate to add YOUR scoop in the comments below!

Tips: The best way to experience the park is to drive the 28 mile long park road from one end to the other. There are many pullouts and some short trails that get you up close to interesting sights! There are 12 marked spots on the park map. What is petrified wood?

1. Painted Desert Visitor Center – Cappie waited in the car while we ran in to grab a couple souvenirs
2. Painted Desert Inn and Museum – we skipped this one
3. Painted Desert Overlooks – Cappie came with us to see the views from multiple overlooks
4. Route 66 Alignment – We skipped this one; it’s an old Studebaker rusted car
5. Puerco Pueblo – We skipped this one; it’s a 0.3 mile loop trail to old Puebloan homes and petroglyphs
6. Newspaper Rock – Cappie came with us to see the petroglyphs
7. Blue Mesa – Cappie came with us on the 1 mile paved trail to see blue, purple and gray badlands and we drove the 3.5 mile loop road
8. Agate Bridge – Cappie came with us to see the 110 ft petrified log spanning a gully
9. Jasper Forest – We skipped this one for #10; it’s a panoramic view of an area with a lot of petrified wood
10. Crystal Forest – Cappie came with us on the 0.75 mile paved loop trail where we got up close to the petrified wood
11. Rainbow Forest Museum and Giant Logs Trail – We skipped the museum but Cappie came with us on the 0.4 mile dirt loop trail
12. Long Logs & Agate House – We skipped this one; it’s a 2.6 mile trail with logs and a pueblo reconstructed of petrified wood

Directions: Coordinates take you to the Painted Desert Visitor Center and Park Headquarters. Once you enter the park, pick up a map that shows the route to drive and all of the marked stops.