Petrified Forest National Park

Two hundred and some million years ago this was a floodplain of enormous conifers, and when they fell and were buried in volcanic ash, silica replaced the wood cell by cell until the trunks became quartz, coloured by iron and manganese into reds, purples and yellows. Erosion has since exposed them, and they lie in whole logs across the desert floor, some bridging gullies, cracked into segments as if sawn. The park also holds the Painted Desert, a badlands of banded clay in bands of lavender and rust best seen at either end of the day, Puerco Pueblo with its petroglyphs, and a preserved stretch of Route 66 marked by a rusting car. A road runs the length with overlooks and short trails throughout.

What you actually see

• The fossil logs - whole petrified trunks lying across the desert at Crystal Forest.
• The Painted Desert - banded clay badlands in lavender and rust.
• Puerco Pueblo petroglyphs - ancestral rock art including a solar marker.
• The Route 66 alignment - the old road's course marked by a derelict car.

When to go

Spring and autumn are the most comfortable; summer is hot and brings afternoon storms, and winter can be cold and windy. The colours in both the wood and the badlands are strongest in low light early and late. The park has gates that close at night, unusually, so check hours.

Honest expectations

Taking petrified wood is theft and a federal offence, and rangers do check; the legal souvenir shops outside the gates sell wood from private land. The park closes at night, which surprises people planning sunset photography. It is a half-day rather than a multi-day park, and much of it is seen from the road.

Nearby

Holbrook and Route 66 are just outside; the Grand Canyon and Flagstaff are a few hours west.