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11 February 2022
Explore the park’s southern section for close encounters with petrified logs. Araucarioxylon arizonicum, or petrified trees, were formed from these ancient trees, which have evolved from wood to rock, taking on colors caused by iron, carbon, and manganese. In the Crystal Forest, Giant Logs, and Long Logs trails you will come across petrified wood deposits, enormous logs, and even an ancient log jam. If you’d like to see what creatures roamed the land in prehistoric times, the Rainbow Forest Museum has paleontological displays.
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Here are a few tips when you traverse the National Forest:
While most trails are paved and barrier-free, some exceed ADA requirements in terms of grade. Certain trails can be accessed by people with disabilities. Here are the top three trails in the Petrified Forest National Park
Crystal Forest
The Crystal Log Trail is one of the best places to see petrified wood deposits in the area. This trail is named after the crystals that were found inside the petrified logs. Please do not disturb the petrified wood and report any removal of petrified wood to the park staff.
Giant Logs
A number of colorful and large logs can be found in Giant Logs. Towards the top of the trail, Old Faithful is almost ten feet wide!
Long Logs
A large concentration of petrified wood can be found at Long Logs. Discover this ancient log jam at the base of gray badlands. Petrified wood should be left for others to enjoy. Park staff should be notified if any petrified wood or other materials are removed.
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The park’s focus on nature might surprise some when they discover its architectural treasures. There is still a 100-room pueblo compound occupied more than 600 years ago by Ancestral Puebloans, as well as nearby petroglyphs at Puerco Pueblo. An archaeological site in the park is the Agate House, an eight-room pueblo built of petrified wood and inhabited between 1050 and 1300.
The Painted Desert Inn dates back to the 1920s and has been modified over the years by National Park Service architect Lyle Bennett, the Civilian Conservation Corps, and the Fred Harvey Company’s lead architect Mary Colter, who hired Hopi artist Fred Kabotie to paint the inn’s murals. The National Historic Landmark offers Petrified Forest history exhibits and, in the summer, an ice cream counter. The Painted Desert Visitor Center complex was designed by Richard Alexander and Richard Neutra, one of the foremost proponents of International Style. The National Trust for Historic Preservation has assigned it a National Treasure. A midcentury modern style is embodied by the simple glass and steel materials, low profile, and clean lines of the complex.
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The Mexican gray wolf (Canis lupus baileyi) is one of the rarest subspecies of gray wolf in North America and a symbol of both ecological resilience and conservation success. Once nearly extinct, this small gray wolf has become the focus of one of the most closely monitored wildlife recovery efforts in the United States. advertisement A Species on the Brink By the late 1970s, only seven Mexican gray wolves remained in captivity. Their disappearance from the wild was driven by habitat loss, hunting, and predator control programs. The survival of this subspecies depended entirely on careful intervention and breeding programs.
Tucson is taking a bold new step to support its most vulnerable residents. The city has announced plans to create its first city-sanctioned outdoor sleep area, named Star Village, aimed at providing unhoused Tucsonans with a safe place to sleep at night. advertisement A New Approach to Homelessness For many people living on Tucson’s streets, “home” is constantly shifting. Park clear-outs, law enforcement patrols, severe weather, or conflicts can force unhoused residents to move frequently. City officials hope Star Village will provide not just shelter but stability, a stepping stone toward permanent housing. “This was a really bold step,” said
Living in Arizona means accepting a fundamental truth: as one desert dweller puts it, “everything in the desert hates you.” The Sonoran Desert’s plant life seems designed to leave its mark on anyone who dares to venture too close. But what happens when these prickly cactus encounters become unavoidable, and how do you deal with the aftermath? advertisement The Reality of Arizona’s Cactus Encounters Jumping Cholla Despite its name, jumping cholla doesn’t actually jump. However, its segments are so loosely attached and the barbed spines so effective at grabbing onto anything that brushes against them, it certainly seems like an
When it comes to historical facts, Arizona is known for its Wild West days. However, Arizona holds a treasure trove of fascinating stories. Let’s dive into some of the coolest historical facts about Arizona that you may not know. advertisement 1. Phoenix Was Almost Named “Pumpkinville.” (Sort of) In the mid-1800s, when settlers first arrived in Phoenix, they found fields of pumpkins growing where the Hohokam Native tribes had once established an intricate system of canals. These canals had been built to irrigate crops, and when settlers came across them, they were impressed by the thriving agriculture in the region.
