The Petrified Forest and Painted Desert National Parks

While driving to the Petrified Forest I checked freecampsites.net to see if there was anywhere for us to park for the night.  Turns out the gift shops at the base of the road going into the Park offer free campsites.  If you want electric you can get it for an additional $10 / night.

All settled in and ready to unhook so we can drive up into the Park while we still have a few hours of daylight.

 Here we are!

 We check out the Agate Bridge

This tree grew in a subtropical forest 217 million years ago.  When it died it was washed into a river and covered with sediment preventing decay.  Volcanic ash dissolved in the water providing Silica which reacted with the tree and crystallized it into quartz.   The bridge is 110 feet long.  Eventually the water washing under it will erode the side and the bridge will collapse into the water. 

The Petrified Forest and the Painted Desert merge in spots.

  There is a trail you can take down into the valley and walk around.  They look pretty small down there.

 Small compared to that log.

We drive by the Teepees

Another stop is the Newspaper Rocks.   The view is from up above, they have viewing telescopes.

But I have a zoom on my camera

There are 650 petroglyphs on the rocks. Many generations of people saw these markings and contributed their own. The petroglyphs were created by Puebloan people living by the Puerco River between 650 and 2,000 years ago

 With so many "writers" over so many years, it is impossible to "read" the rockface.

There was road construction on the way in so we weren't able to stop in at the Museum but they were done so we squeezed it in before it closed.

 Petrified logs everywhere

This is the largest one - Old Faithful - almost 10' in diameter

Tucson checks out the view

I loved this Charley Brown Cactus

 The petrified wood is really pretty

 The next day we head back up the 25 mile road to the Painted Desert.  

The first stop is where the original route 66 passed through the Park.  A 1932 Studebaker has been placed there.

The colors are popping out

This is the Historic Painted Desert Inn. The original Inn from the 1920's was made of Petrified Wood.  The Adobe Facade was added in the 1930's

It is surrounded by views of the Painted Desert

 

On the way back down the 25 mile road, we stop to hike to the Agate  House.  The eight-room pueblo was built and occupied sometime between 1050 and 1300 in a location near petrified wood deposits.