Petrified logs
Gem-like colours.
Andrew Kearns from Mill Valley, United States — CC BY 2.0 · Andrew Kearns from Mill Valley, United States — CC BY 2.0 · Andrew Kearns from Mill Valley, United States — CC BY 2.0 · Andrew Kearns from Mill Valley, United States — CC BY 2.0 · Andrew Kearns from Mill Valley, United States — CC BY 2.0
Petrified Forest National Park lies in northeastern Arizona, with its headquarters about 42 km east of Holbrook along Interstate 40, about 37 km in a straight line. It is named for its large deposits of petrified wood. The park covers about 900 square kilometres, its northern part extending into the Painted Desert. It became a national monument in 1906 and a national park in 1962. It is known for its fossils, especially fallen trees that lived in the Late Triassic about 225 million years ago. It averages about 1,600 metres in elevation and has a dry, windy climate. Petrified logs in red, orange and purple, their cut faces gleaming like gemstones, lie scattered across barren hills banded in blue, grey and pink. The red-layered mesas of the Painted Desert rise on the horizon, with sparse desert grasses between the stones. Visitors drive a main road that crosses the park from north to south, stopping at viewpoints and short trails such as Blue Mesa and Jasper Forest. Taking any petrified wood is strictly forbidden. Summers are very hot, so carry plenty of water.
Gem-like colours.
Red mesas.
Banded hills.
Near Holbrook, Arizona, United States
No, it is strictly forbidden.
By car along the main park road.