Day 2: El Morro & Petrified Forest
After a long night of sleep, my alarm woke us up around sunrise. It was my sixth week of training for an upcoming half marathon, so I donned my running shoes to do a quick run. Ancient Way Café – the owner of the property our cabin resided on – sat a mere mile away from El Morro National Monument. My run therefore consisted of a quick jaunt to the monument’s entrance and back. With the morning sun shining and the cold air refreshing, I was in a great mood. I was ready for a fantastic day.
El Morro National Monument
I took a brief shower, then my dad and I packed up the car and headed to El Morro National Monument. After a brief run-in with a grumpy park ranger (he pulled me over since I entered the park 10 minutes before it opened), we talked to some friendlier rangers at the visitor center and began a 2-mile hike.
As soon as we began the hike, El Morro captivated us.
The trail began by passing a pool of water, the feature responsible for the El Morro’s historical significance. For centuries, Native Americans and Spanish explorers viewed El Morro as an oasis in the desert, which made it a hotspot for travelers. Many of these travelers left their mark in the form of signatures on Inscription Rock, the park’s centerpiece. Here, petroglyphs exist alongside signatures of early American settlers, offering a written history of New Mexico. As we passed these signatures, we spotted the first governor of New Mexico’s signature, dated 1605. We also found a number of more delicate, elaborate signatures reminiscent of modern pen-and-paper signatures.
Once passing the inscriptions, the trail wound its way to the top of Inscription Rock. From here, we found excellent views of the surrounding landscape. Mesas, forests, and distant mountains populated the horizon. As we navigated the rocky trail, we eventually reached Atsinna Pueblo: home of the original inhabitants of El Morro. We spent a few minutes studying the excavated rooms, then began the descent to the visitor center.
Though brief, we thoroughly enjoyed the Headland Trail loop at El Morro National Monument. But, alas, it was time to move to bigger things.
Transitioning to Arizona
Around 10:30, we began the drive to our next stop: Petrified Forest National Park. As we transitioned from New Mexico to Arizona, the landscape changed. Red rocks and occasional hoodoos appeared among the shrubbery and trees. We passed through several small towns on a winding state highway before eventually reaching Interstate 40.
While we drove, my dad made the devastating realization that we had – stupidly – left the beer in the fridge at our cabin near El Morro! We both exclaimed in anger, but we tried not to let it dampen our spirits.
To Petrified Forest
After almost 2 hours of driving, we reached Petrified Forest National Park. Straightaway, we caught sight of the entrance sign. I pulled over for a quick photo.
Once we reached the visitor center, we talked to a ranger and made our plan for the day. The ranger suggested we drive the entire length of Petrified Forest’s scenic drive, north to south, before embarking on any hikes. Then, as the late afternoon sun began to make the park’s colors *pop*, we would make our way back north, stopping at short hikes along the way.
The Painted Desert
Upon leaving the visitor center, we began to drive the park’s scenic road. Immediately, we saw something that caught our eyes. Beyond the road, the ground dropped off, leading to an incredible collection of eroded buttes and mounds. It reminded me of Badlands National Park, except for the vibrant red and orange colors that coated the landscape. It was almost as if someone had – ahem – PAINTED the desert!
This, of course, was the Painted Desert, the highlight of Petrified Forest National Park’s northern corridor. Rich deposits of iron and manganese provide the striking colors visible in this collection of badlands.
Of course, my dad and I had to stop for some photos. We pulled off the road at a couple of overlooks, snapping pics of the Painted Desert.
To the… Trees?
From the Painted Desert, we began the drive to Petrified Forests’ southern corridor. We stopped at an historic Route 66 display – along the remnants of the famous highway – as the road meandered through a diverse, ever-changing landscape.
While we drove, we passed Puerco Pueblo, lavender-colored badland formations, and several large grasslands. Eventually, small chunks of petrified wood began dotting the landscape. We’d hardly blinked when the horizon was suddenly filled with the ancient tree chunks in every direction.
Plan your trip to Petrified Forest National Park
Though the park’s name might imply the existence of an ancient forest, standing tall for visitors to see, this is a bit of a misnomer. Over 200 million years ago, trees of a prehistoric tropical forest fell and became buried under sediments, water, and volcanic ash. Silica and other substances eventually seeped into the wood, replacing the organic substances in the wood and essentially mineralizing the material. Tectonic uplift eventually pushed these trees back to the surface, during which they fractured and split like brittle chalk. Today, fragments of wood cover the national park and other parts of Arizona. While not the towering trees that the park’s name might imply, they are still incredibly fascinating.
Walking Among the Ancients
Once we reached the park’s southern terminus, my dad and I began our series of hikes. We started with Giant Logs, a short trail near the Rainbow Forest Museum. Petrified wood – some trees still partially intact – littered the ground around us. I didn’t find the landscape terribly interesting, but the wood was very cool to study.
Next, we drove north to the Crystal Forest Trail. Here, the colorful lavender mesas lay beneath a collection of petrified wood, making for a much more scenic hike. Interpretive exhibits explained the geological history of the land, adding an educational element to the walk.
As we continued driving north, we stopped at a pair of pull-offs: Jasper Forest and Agate Bridge. The former is an overlook of a set of buttes covered in petrified wood, with a wide-open view looking to the west. The latter is a near-fully-intact tree over a gully held together by a concrete bridge built in the 1900s. Both were worth the brief visits, so be sure to check these spots out when you visit Petrified Forest.
Blue Mesa
Next, we continued the drive to what became my favorite hike in the park: Blue Mesa. From the trailhead, the trail descends steeply into a collection of towering badlands. Quickly, it becomes clear why the hike is named what it is: blue, lavender, grey, and even orange stripes in the badlands create a literal rainbow of colors. The vibrant colors are unreal, and they made my jaw drop the moment they came into view.
As my dad and I walked the trail, we gazed in awe at the scenery around us. We made conversation as we pointed out particularly colorful buttes and and spotted clusters of petrified wood.
Though only 1 mile long, the Blue Mesa hike left a stark impression on me. If you only have time for one hike at Petrified Forest National Park, this is the one I recommend.
Get Your Kicks on Route 66
After Blue Mesa, my dad and I drove back to the park’s northern terminus to complete the Painted Desert Rim Trail. During this hike, I began realizing how much sun my arms had gotten throughout the day. I suddenly regretted wearing a tank top and not using sunscreen.
The Rim Trail, though pretty, offered a view identical to what is visible from the road. So, while it was a great way to see the Painted Desert for a longer duration, I’d wishes we’d opted to stop at Puerco Pueblo instead.
From here, we stopped at the park’s gift store so I could purchase a piece of petrified wood. Then, we returned to I-40 – following the old Route 66 path – and began the 3-hour drive to Grand Canyon National Park: the mecca of the trip.
28 national parks down, 35 to go…
Arizona or Colorado?
We drove 1.5 hours west to reach Flagstaff, home of Arizona’s tallest mountain: Humphrey’s Peak. As we approached the city limits, the landscape changed dramatically from an arid desert to a lush pine forest. Views of snow-covered mountains to the north poked through the trees as I gawked at the landscape.
If someone had dropped me into a game of GeoGuessr in this exact spot, I would have stated – without a doubt – that I was in Colorado. Wild stuff.
Welcome to Grand Canyon National Park
Three hours after leaving Petrified Forest, we arrived to the place we’d been most excited about: Grand Canyon National Park. Once we showed my America the Beautiful Pass at the entrance station, we made our way to Mather Campground. There, my dad and I hastily set up tent while the sun was still up, made friends with our neighbors, and cooked dinner.
After darkness set and we had finished eating, I suggested driving to the South Rim to take a look at the stars. Though we likely wouldn’t see the Grand Canyon itself, I wanted to take advantage of the dark skies in the park.
We pulled up to Yavapai Point with our camp chairs and took a seat near the canyon’s edge. I set up my tripod, pointed my camera towards the sky, and attempted to snap some nighttime photos. Without the moon or the Milky Way glowing above, it was pitch black around us. But, the stars shined as brightly as I’d ever seen. A steady evening wind gusted across the canyon as we enjoyed the peace of our surroundings.
