You Can Discover A 'Rainbow' Forest Filled With Ancient Crystal Logs In Arizona
Get ready for your daily dose of travel therapy! Just a road trip away from the city, you can explore the surreal Petrified Forest National Park in Arizona. Once you see it, you'll be transported to a landscape filled with pastel colors, fossilized wood, and incredible history.
Petrified Forest National Park (PFNP) is about a 4-hour road trip from Phoenix and is perfect if you need to escape the Valley.
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Located on the Colorado Plateau, the park is home to crystal forests, the Painted Badlands, mesas, and buttes.
With so much to explore, you can make a weekday trip out of it since the standard entrance fee of $25 is suitable for seven whole days!
According to a comment made by PFNP officials, the petrified wood features an array of colors because the trees that were once standing fell over and became buried under sediment.
"Over time, mineral rich waters flowing underground replaced the original cellular structure of the wood with minerals."
You can see the stunning quartz wood by traversing the Crystal Forest Trail. It's less than a mile-long loop that gives you up-close views of the rainbow timber.
The Giant Logs Loop, on the other hand, "features some of the largest and most colorful logs in the park."
Right at the top of the trail, you'll come across a massive trunk that's almost 10-feet wide. It's dubbed "Old Faithful" for a good reason.
If your friends are too busy for a trip up north, you can bring your pupper along instead.
They're allowed on the developed trails in the park as long as they remain leashed.
Make sure your phone is charged on the drive up, you're guaranteed to take a bunch of once in a lifetime photos.
Have fun.
Petrified Forest National Park
Price: $25
Address: 1 Park Rd., #2217, Petrified Forest, AZ
Why You Need To Go: You can explore ancient wood that features fossilized crystals.
We strongly advise that before you go swimming or visit any location, you check the most recent updates on potential hazards, security, water quality, and closures. If you do plan to visit a location, respect the environment.