Visiting Petrified Forest National Park

Visiting the Petrified Forest National Park is something that everyone should consider.

Carol and I first visited the park in 2007, and we just completed another visit a few weeks ago.

To warm you up to the idea, watch this video.  If you want to see a much larger version, click on the YouTube logo after hitting the play button.

There is an abundance of easy hiking trails in the park.

Tips for Visiting Petrified Forest National Park

1. The park is akin to a 28-mile scenic drive with many spurs and viewpoints along the way. We recommend that you begin your journey from the south end of the park.  Most people enter from the north. Entering from the south will keep you away from most of the traffic until you eventually meet in the middle of the park. Here is a link to the maps of the park.
2. The best way to experience the park is on foot. Pack some light hiking shoes and experience a few of the trails. Most of the trails are quite short and fairly easy going.
3. The speed limit in the park varies from 15-45 miles per hour.  Only park in designated areas and don’t stop in the middle of the road.  You would be surprised at how many people do this.
4. If you want to experience everything in the park, plan on visiting for 5-7 hours.
5. While there are snacks available at the north and south ends of the park, there are no such resources in the park’s middle.  Therefore, pack a picnic lunch and LOTS of water.

Staycationing Where You Live

The Blue Forest at Blue Mesa. Click for large view.

Living in the desert southwest, we feel very fortunate to have many National Parks and scenic destinations close to home.

And now that our summer heat has moved along, we plan to experience all that we can during this world-wide COVID-19 pandemic.

While we may not be able to cruise down the Rhine River right now, we remind ourselves that folks come from all over the world to see what is in our backyard.

Perhaps the same is true of where YOU live.  So, let’s get out there and experience this beautiful world of ours.

Furthermore, if you capture a beautiful scene in your neck of the woods, send it our way.  Who knows, perhaps we’ll share it on our Facebook page.  🙂

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