Travel Guide Petrified Forest National Park

Petrified Forest National Park comprises two natural areas separated by Interstate 40: Painted Desert to the north and Petrified Forest to the south. You can enter the former or the latter, via I-40 or U.S. Route 180. A magnificent 45 km road winds its way through dazzling nature.Painted Desert. Over time, erosion has revealed multiple strata colored by iron, manganese and other minerals. Where the water table was low, the iron and manganese in the soil were oxidized by oxygen. Where the water table was high, the metals were better protected and retained their natural color. These variations in water levels caused the color changes in these soils, which were similar in nature. A dozen vantage points along the road provide a panoramic view of the area. This part of the park is also home to the Painted Desert Inn and remnants of Route 66.Petrified Forest. 225 million years ago, this area was a swamp. Mountain streams carried gigantic tree trunks that fossilized over the millennia. Chemical reactions with water and sand petrified the wood to produce stones in a variety of colors: violet, green, yellow, crystal and brown. Today, visitors can stroll among the stone trunks at various sites, including the must-see Blue Mesa - an 8 km loop - and Jasper Forest. Petrified Forest also offers the chance to discover archaeological remains, including the ruins of Puerco Pueblo and Agate House, a group of dwellings occupied between 900 and 1300 AD.