First things first I want to make sure you properly appreciate this blog post. If you don't know what petrified wood is or want to learn some cool facts, check this out: petrified wood is technically a fossil. When a tree dies, it loses its branches. The Petrified Forest in Arizona used to be filled with trees and water back when the dinosaurs roamed, but now it is the tree-less, water-less desert you see above.
When the forest was living, trees would eventually die and be buried by sediment in a river or body of water. Overtime, the wood turns into a fossil, similar to a smooth rock (like granite). The different chemicals such as copper, carbon, iron oxides, manganese, and more, create the different rainbow colors on the wood. (Scroll left or right below to see more).
The Petrified Forest in Arizona is HUGE! There are tons of stops throughout the forest to check out the scenery, petroglyphs, and petrified wood. You'll need a day or half a day to go through this park, and it is worth every minute.
The best part about the Petrified Forest is that it's so big, you have to drive through it, so you can bring your Wrangler along for the journey. Bella was super happy to come on this adventure.
If you are in Arizona, the Petrified Forest National Park is a must-see. You will learn a lot and see some cool stuff. Check out the visitor centers to see dinosaur fossils and learn about what the forest was like when the mighty T-Rex roamed the earth. You can even make it a week-long adventure by adding in the Grand Canyon and Zion National Park.
You can also see petroglyphs, something that before this trip, I have only seen in books before. Petroglyphs are the images carved into these rocks to tell stories. You cannot easily see these carvings with the naked eye, but thanks to the telescopes at this look out, you can easily see them on the rock. Once I knew where to look, my camera got the rest. You can scroll left or right through my petroglyph images below:
Plan your trip to the Petrified Forest asap, or find one near you! If you visit this one in Arizona, your jaw will drop when you get to some of the lookouts. I spent half a day here and could have spent sooo much more time if I had it. Definitely do not rush this stop, it is really effing cool.
