The Petrified Forest: An Arizona Landmark Worth the Drive

The Petrified Forest National Park sits in northeastern Arizona near Holbrook, about three hours east of Phoenix on Interstate 40. The park encompasses 220,000 acres of the Painted Desert — striped badlands in purples, reds, and ochres — and one of the most significant concentrations of preserved petrified wood in the world. The petrified logs scattered across the park's southern section are fossilized remains of ancient trees from 225 million years ago, when the area was a tropical floodplain near the equator. The mineralization process that replaced organic material with quartz has preserved the trees with a clarity — wood grain, growth rings, bark texture — that makes the geological age difficult to comprehend. The 28-mile park road runs from the north entrance to the south entrance. Driving the full road takes about two hours without stopping; a half day with appropriate stops is the minimum to do it justice. The Painted Desert Inn National Historic Landmark at the north end is a 1940 adobe structure with interior murals by Hopi artist Fred Kabotie — among the finest WPA-era artworks in the Southwest. No facilities exist within the park. Bring food, water, and extra fuel.