PETRIFIED FOREST/PAINTED DESERT
 

Where are the Petrified Forest and the Painted Desert located? Are they worth seeing? Are there any other attractions in that area?

They are in the NE corner of Arizona. <BR>I went years & years ago when I was 12 y.o, 1st view of a desert, so it was quite awe inspiring. They are worth it if you are planning a trip to Arizona or that area of the country. It's quite a remote location, don't know of any "big" towns nearby.

We thought that Canyon de Chelly (about 50+ miles north of the Petrfied Forest) was far more interesting, as was Monument Valley on the Arizona/Utah border. And from there you should venture east to Mesa Verde in the SW corner of Colorado. Mesa Verde is truly one of America's treasures.

I wasn't that impressed with the petrified forest, although it was interesting, but the Painted Desert I loved! It's weird to stand there and look at the same things people looked at so long ago. There are lots of rocks with petroglyphs and drawings by Indians. There is even a FOOTPRINT on a rock. My understanding it that oils on the rocks (like from touching it with a foot) turn black and that's what the petroglyphs are. You are not allowed to touch them. Some are huge boulders covered with Indian symbols and drawings. One had a huge bullseye on it. Petrified Forest is right there by the Painted Desert, so might as well check that out while you're there. <BR> <BR>Definitely go - you won't regret it. <BR> <BR>The other place mentioned sounds worth seeing too. I'd love to have a couple of weeks just to wander around ARizona and see stuff like that!

About 100 miles east of Flagstaff. It is a drive through event and visit usually does not take more than a few hours. If in the area ,anywhere near I-40, it is worth driving through and making a few stops. If you have the time there are other places in the area that are worthy of a visit: Canyon de Chelly, Mesa Verde NP in Colorado and Monument Valley. And, of course, there is the Gr. Canyon.

And before you go, check out an old movie from the early 1930's called "The Petrified Forest". It stars Bette Davis and Leslie Howard and a young young young Humphrey Bogart. Wonderful.

In my humble opinion, the Petrified Forest is not worth going out of your way to see. If you are there, do it! Otherwise, skip it. Never in my life did I dream that something called a forest would be a desert! The petriglyphs are unique, but there are other interesting sites in Arizona that also have them. The logs are also interesting, but I didn't think enough so to go out of your way to get there. <BR> <BR>The painted dessert is something that you can enjoy from a distance. You will be driving along and suddenly, you will notice that the horizon is unique. It can be seen from the eastern side of the Grand Canyon South Rim, as you drive north on 89 from Flagstaff as well as from I-40. <BR> <BR>On the otherhand, Canyon de Chelley is something not to be missed. We enjoyed it much more than the Grand Canyon even. A beautiful canyon, partially vegetated with sandy dessert areas, innundated with interesting rock formations and shallow enough to see people in the valley...a place I would return to. <BR>

Meteor Crater is on the way from Flagstaff. I would visit it also.

The Painted Desert is actually the Chinle Formation. It outcrops all over north western Arizona, even into Utah. <BR>It is found in beautiful exposures at many places, most of them equal to or better than the Painted Desert -- as identified as being near the Petrified Forest National Park. <BR>