Welcome to Travel Tuesday! We’re still in Arizona this week (and for a couple more weeks!) and on to the Giant Logs Trail in Petrified Forest National Park!
Giant Logs Trail in Petrified Forest National Park
Distance: 0.6 mile (loop)
Elevation: 36 ft
Difficulty: Easy
Duration: <30 minutes
Trailhead Address: 34.81544,-109.86552
Parking: Lot available ($25 for admission into park, or free with annual interagency pass)
This is another super short + quick trail in Petrified Forest National Park located behind the Rainbow Forest Museum and Visitor Center.
It’s fairly flat for the most part but there are a couple sets of stairs, so unfortunately it’s not fully accessible.
You can pick up a trail guide for an optional donation of $1 so you can learn more about the petrified wood along the trail as well as more about the history of the park.
~216 million years ago(!), these trees died and fell into the river, buried underneath mud, sand, volcanic ash, and silt. Over time, the minerals soaked into wood and the silica crystals bonded with the cells of the tree, eventually replacing the wood entirely.
There is a ~10′-wide huuuge log known as “Old Faithful” hanging out near the top of the hill behind the museum. (It weighs 44 tons!)
After you’re done with this super-short hike, if you cross the parking lot area, you can get to the trailhead for the Agate House and Long Logs Trail!
P.S. Again, do NOT take anything out of the national park! It’s against the law (and you shouldn’t be anyway!).
- Have you ever been to Petrified Forest National Park?
- Are you a history buff?
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The interesting trails and arid climate of the petrified forest national park in Arizona look so exciting for the trip. The facts and information in the blog is informative and places suggested for hiking is worth visiting
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Thanks! There were so many cool places to visit in Arizona! *-*
I had no idea how these logs were formed inside Petrified Forest National Park. It’s so interesting, it looks like wood still, but it’s actually minerals etc? That’s pretty cool.
Yep (as far as I understand it)! It still very much looks like wood (for the most part) to me!
Super interesting. I had no idea about this place and it’s beauty. I’ll be saving this as a pin for my next visit :)
Aww, yay! I hope you have fun! :]
Wow so crazy, some of those logs look like rock formations, I’ve never seen anything like that before
They do! I was especially amazed at that 44-ton one! :O
Looking forward to visiting as an adult, the last time I was about 10!
Ooo, it’ll be cool to see if it’s as you remember/how much it’s changed!
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