Jeff Goulden Petrified Forest National Park Pictures, Images and Stock Photos

Petrified wood is formed when dead trees are buried by layers of sediment. The logs soak up groundwater and silica from volcanic ash and over time are crystallized into quartz. Different minerals create the colors seen in the logs. These petrified logs are at the Rainbow Forest in Petrified Forest National Park near Holbrook, Arizona, USA.

Badlands are a particular type of rock formation found in arid regions around the world. These formations require poorly consolidated rock and infrequent but torrential rain. The soft rock allows large quantities of water to channel down gullies, carrying away sediment. Bentonite clay within these formations can swell up with moisture. As the clay dries it shrinks and cracks, creating a surface resembling the skin of an elephant. Beneath the surface, an intricate maze of natural pipes and spaces form within the badlands. This hidden plumbing appears on the face of the badlands as dimples, sinks, slumps and seeps. As erosion continues, new features including caves and natural bridges can form. Badlands often take on varied colors giving the formations a banded appearance. These colorful badland formations were at Blue Mesa in Petrified Forest National Park near Holbrook, Arizona, USA.

Petrified wood is formed when dead trees are buried by layers of sediment. The logs soak up groundwater and silica from volcanic ash and over time are crystallized into quartz. Different minerals create the colors seen in the logs. These petrified logs are at the Rainbow Forest in Petrified Forest National Park near Holbrook, Arizona, USA.

Between 900AD and 1200AD native people inhabited the Painted Desert east of the San Francisco Peaks of Arizona. In an area so dry it would seem impossible to live, they built pueblos, harvested rainwater, grew crops and raised families. Their way of life was the key to survival in this harsh landscape. These people survived here, farming one of the warmest and driest places on the Colorado Plateau. They developed the skills to farm the land and endure hardship in an area where many would not. These ancestral Puebloan people used petrified wood not only for tools but also as a building material. Located on top of a small hill, this structure was built almost entirely of petrified wood and sealed with mud mortar. These thought-provoking remains bring to mind the innovativeness in building and the environmental challenges faced by these indigenous peoples. Based on nearby similar buildings, this pueblo was most likely part of a much larger community of "seasonal farmers or traders". Agate House was partially reconstructed by the Civilian Conservation Corps in 1933-34 and added to the National Register of Historic Places on October 6, 1975. Agate House is in Petrified Forest National Park near Holbrook, Arizona, USA.

Historic US Highway 66, known as the “Mother Road”, is more than just a stretch of pavement. It is also an American icon, a symbol of opportunity, adventure and discovery. US Highway 66 better known in literature, song, and story as Route 66, was a ribbon of roadway over two thousand miles long that connected Middle America to the Pacific coast. Beginning in 1926, Route 66 fulfilled different needs in each subsequent decade. In the 1930’s it was the main travel corridor for migrating families fleeing the Dust Bowl. In the 1940’s, during World War II, the road was filled with military traffic. In the 1950’s Route 66 came into its own as motorists took to the road to explore the nation with a freedom never felt before. In the next decades as the interstate highway system was being developed, drivers bypassed Route 66 in favor of the faster freeways. Unfortunately, the tourists also bypassed the small towns that gave the Mother Road its character and appeal. Petrified Forest is the only National Park in the country that contains a section of Historic Route 66. This stretch of Route 66 was open from 1926 until 1958 and was the primary way millions of travelers accessed the Petrified Forest and Painted Desert. Near Tiponi Point and the Painted Desert a section of the original roadbed has been preserved along with interpretive signs and a rusty 1932 Studebaker. The Route 66 logo is engraved in the pavement at the Route 66 interpretive center in Petrified Forest National Park near Holbrook, Arizona, USA.

Badlands are a particular type of rock formation found in arid regions around the world. These formations require poorly consolidated rock and infrequent but torrential rain. The soft rock allows large quantities of water to channel down gullies, carrying away sediment. Bentonite clay within these formations can swell up with moisture. As the clay dries it shrinks and cracks, creating a surface resembling the skin of an elephant. Beneath the surface, an intricate maze of natural pipes and spaces form within the badlands. This hidden plumbing appears on the face of the badlands as dimples, sinks, slumps and seeps. As erosion continues, new features including caves and natural bridges can form. Badlands often take on varied colors giving the formations a banded appearance. These colorful badland formations were at Blue Mesa in Petrified Forest National Park near Holbrook, Arizona, USA.

Indigenous people have been carving in rock for thousands of years as a means of written communication. Petroglyphs are either images, designs or symbols chiseled, carved or scratched on the surface of the rock. Many of these carvings have endured over the centuries and are still visible today. The image on the right side of this rock depicts a round face. Modern natives in this area identify this as a Kachina, or spirit being. Research suggests that the Kachina Culture came to this area around 1300AD. Similar Kachina symbols are used in modern Puebloan pottery and weavings which helps make the connection from past to present. We don’t always know the true meaning of these carvings or how to interpret them. And maybe it’s not our place to try. We can however enjoy them for their artistry. These petroglyphs were photographed at Puerco Pueblo in Petrified Forest National Park near Holbrook, Arizona, USA.

Petrified wood is formed when dead trees are buried by layers of sediment. The logs soak up groundwater and silica from volcanic ash and over time are crystallized into quartz. Different minerals create the colors seen in the logs. These petrified logs are at the Rainbow Forest in Petrified Forest National Park near Holbrook, Arizona, USA.

Cirrus clouds appear in a blue sky over the Petrified Forest National Park near Holbrook, Arizona, USA.

The Painted Desert is an interesting and colorful part of Northern Arizona. It starts south of Holbrook and extends about 120 miles north almost to the Utah border. It encompasses about 7,500 square miles of the Colorado Plateau. The area is made up of colorful mudstone and sandstone known as the Chinle Formation. The rocks of the Chinle Formation were deposited from 227 to 205 million years ago during the Triassic Period. Over the next 180 million years the rocks were buried, uplifted and then eroded into the present-day badland topography. This photograph of the Painted Desert was taken from Lacey Point in Petrified Forest National Park near Holbrook, Arizona, USA.

Historic US Highway 66, known as the “Mother Road”, is more than just a stretch of pavement. It is also an American icon, a symbol of opportunity, adventure and discovery. US Highway 66 better known in literature, song, and story as Route 66, was a ribbon of roadway over two thousand miles long that connected Middle America to the Pacific coast. Beginning in 1926, Route 66 fulfilled different needs in each subsequent decade. In the 1930’s it was the main travel corridor for migrating families fleeing the Dust Bowl. In the 1940’s, during World War II, the road was filled with military traffic. In the 1950’s Route 66 came into its own as motorists took to the road to explore the nation with a freedom never felt before. In the next decades as the interstate highway system was being developed, drivers bypassed Route 66 in favor of the faster freeways. Unfortunately, the tourists also bypassed the small towns that gave the Mother Road its character and appeal. Petrified Forest is the only National Park in the country that contains a section of Historic Route 66. This stretch of Route 66 was open from 1926 until 1958 and was the primary way millions of travelers accessed the Petrified Forest and Painted Desert. Near Tiponi Point and the Painted Desert a section of the original roadbed has been preserved along with interpretive signs and a rusty 1932 Studebaker. The Route 66 logo is engraved in the pavement at the Route 66 interpretive center in Petrified Forest National Park near Holbrook, Arizona, USA.

About 218 million years ago, flood waters carried fallen trees to this area and created a logjam. Some of these prehistoric trees stood as much as 200 feet tall. After being covered with sediment, the logs petrified over millions of years. Organic matter in the wood was replaced by silica from volcanic ash which then crystallized into quartz. Other minerals provided color to the petrified wood. These petrified logs are at the Long Logs Trail in Petrified Forest National Park near Holbrook, Arizona, USA.

Badlands are a particular type of rock formation found in arid regions around the world. These formations require poorly consolidated rock and infrequent but torrential rain. The soft rock allows large quantities of water to channel down gullies, carrying away sediment. Bentonite clay within these formations can swell up with moisture. As the clay dries it shrinks and cracks, creating a surface resembling the skin of an elephant. Beneath the surface, an intricate maze of natural pipes and spaces form within the badlands. This hidden plumbing appears on the face of the badlands as dimples, sinks, slumps and seeps. As erosion continues, new features including caves and natural bridges can form. Badlands often take on varied colors giving the formations a banded appearance. These colorful badland formations were at Blue Mesa in Petrified Forest National Park near Holbrook, Arizona, USA.

Historic US Highway 66, known as the “Mother Road”, is more than just a stretch of pavement. It is also an American icon, a symbol of opportunity, adventure and discovery. US Highway 66 better known in literature, song, and story as Route 66, was a ribbon of roadway over two thousand miles long that connected Middle America to the Pacific coast. Beginning in 1926, Route 66 fulfilled different needs in each subsequent decade. In the 1930’s it was the main travel corridor for migrating families fleeing the Dust Bowl. In the 1940’s, during World War II, the road was filled with military traffic. In the 1950’s Route 66 came into its own as motorists took to the road to explore the nation with a freedom never felt before. In the next decades as the interstate highway system was being developed, drivers bypassed Route 66 in favor of the faster freeways. Unfortunately, the tourists also bypassed the small towns that gave the Mother Road its character and appeal. Petrified Forest is the only National Park in the country that contains a section of Historic Route 66. This stretch of Route 66 was open from 1926 until 1958 and was the primary way millions of travelers accessed the Petrified Forest and Painted Desert. Near Tiponi Point and the Painted Desert a section of the original roadbed has been preserved along with interpretive signs and a rusty 1932 Studebaker. The Route 66 interpretive center is in Petrified Forest National Park near Holbrook, Arizona, USA.

The Painted Desert is an interesting and colorful part of Northern Arizona. It starts south of Holbrook and extends about 120 miles north almost to the Utah border. It encompasses about 7,500 square miles of the Colorado Plateau. The area is made up of colorful mudstone and sandstone known as the Chinle Formation. The rocks of the Chinle Formation were deposited from 227 to 205 million years ago during the Triassic Period. Over the next 180 million years the rocks were buried, uplifted and then eroded into the present-day badland topography. This picture of the Painted Desert was taken from Tiponi Point in Petrified Forest National Park near Holbrook, Arizona, USA.

Badlands are a particular type of rock formation found in arid regions around the world. These formations require poorly consolidated rock and infrequent but torrential rain. The soft rock allows large quantities of water to channel down gullies, carrying away sediment. Bentonite clay within these formations can swell up with moisture. As the clay dries it shrinks and cracks, creating a surface resembling the skin of an elephant. Beneath the surface, an intricate maze of natural pipes and spaces form within the badlands. This hidden plumbing appears on the face of the badlands as dimples, sinks, slumps and seeps. As erosion continues, new features including caves and natural bridges can form. Badlands often take on varied colors giving the formations a banded appearance. These colorful badland formations were at Blue Mesa in Petrified Forest National Park near Holbrook, Arizona, USA.

Badlands are a particular type of rock formation found in arid regions around the world. These formations require poorly consolidated rock and infrequent but torrential rain. The soft rock allows large quantities of water to channel down gullies, carrying away sediment. Bentonite clay within these formations can swell up with moisture. As the clay dries it shrinks and cracks, creating a surface resembling the skin of an elephant. Beneath the surface, an intricate maze of natural pipes and spaces form within the badlands. This hidden plumbing appears on the face of the badlands as dimples, sinks, slumps and seeps. As erosion continues, new features including caves and natural bridges can form. Badlands often take on varied colors giving the formations a banded appearance. These colorful badland formations were at Blue Mesa in Petrified Forest National Park near Holbrook, Arizona, USA.

Badlands are a particular type of rock formation found in arid regions around the world. These formations require poorly consolidated rock and infrequent but torrential rain. The soft rock allows large quantities of water to channel down gullies, carrying away sediment. Bentonite clay within these formations can swell up with moisture. As the clay dries it shrinks and cracks, creating a surface resembling the skin of an elephant. Beneath the surface, an intricate maze of natural pipes and spaces form within the badlands. This hidden plumbing appears on the face of the badlands as dimples, sinks, slumps and seeps. As erosion continues, new features including caves and natural bridges can form. Badlands often take on varied colors giving the formations a banded appearance. These colorful badland formations were at Blue Mesa in Petrified Forest National Park near Holbrook, Arizona, USA.

Petrified wood is formed when dead trees are buried by layers of sediment. The logs soak up groundwater and silica from volcanic ash and over time are crystallized into quartz. Different minerals create the colors seen in the logs. These petrified logs were photographed at sunset by the Agate House Trail in Petrified Forest National Park near Holbrook, Arizona, USA.

Badlands are a particular type of rock formation found in arid regions around the world. These formations require poorly consolidated rock and infrequent but torrential rain. The soft rock allows large quantities of water to channel down gullies, carrying away sediment. Bentonite clay within these formations can swell up with moisture. As the clay dries it shrinks and cracks, creating a surface resembling the skin of an elephant. Beneath the surface, an intricate maze of natural pipes and spaces form within the badlands. This hidden plumbing appears on the face of the badlands as dimples, sinks, slumps and seeps. As erosion continues, new features including caves and natural bridges can form. Badlands often take on varied colors giving the formations a banded appearance. These colorful badland formations were at Blue Mesa in Petrified Forest National Park near Holbrook, Arizona, USA.

The Painted Desert is an interesting and colorful part of Northern Arizona. It starts south of Holbrook and extends about 120 miles north almost to the Utah border. It encompasses about 7,500 square miles of the Colorado Plateau. The area is made up of colorful mudstone and sandstone known as the Chinle Formation. The rocks of the Chinle Formation were deposited from 227 to 205 million years ago during the Triassic Period. Over the next 180 million years the rocks were buried, uplifted and then eroded into the present-day badland topography. This picture of the Painted Desert was taken from Tiponi Point in Petrified Forest National Park near Holbrook, Arizona, USA.

The Painted Desert is an interesting and colorful part of Northern Arizona. It starts south of Holbrook and extends about 120 miles north almost to the Utah border. It encompasses about 7,500 square miles of the Colorado Plateau. The area is made up of colorful mudstone and sandstone known as the Chinle Formation. The rocks of the Chinle Formation were deposited from 227 to 205 million years ago during the Triassic Period. Over the next 180 million years the rocks were buried, uplifted and then eroded into the present-day badland topography. This picture of the Painted Desert was taken from Tiponi Point in Petrified Forest National Park near Holbrook, Arizona, USA.

Badlands are a particular type of rock formation found in arid regions around the world. These formations require poorly consolidated rock and infrequent but torrential rain. The soft rock allows large quantities of water to channel down gullies, carrying away sediment. Bentonite clay within these formations can swell up with moisture. As the clay dries it shrinks and cracks, creating a surface resembling the skin of an elephant. Beneath the surface, an intricate maze of natural pipes and spaces form within the badlands. This hidden plumbing appears on the face of the badlands as dimples, sinks, slumps and seeps. As erosion continues, new features including caves and natural bridges can form. Badlands often take on varied colors giving the formations a banded appearance. These colorful badland formations were at Blue Mesa in Petrified Forest National Park near Holbrook, Arizona, USA.

Petrified wood is formed when dead trees are buried by layers of sediment. The logs soak up groundwater and silica from volcanic ash and over time are crystallized into quartz. Different minerals create the colors seen in the logs. These petrified logs were photographed at sunset by the Agate House Trail in Petrified Forest National Park near Holbrook, Arizona, USA.

Badlands are a particular type of rock formation found in arid regions around the world. These formations require poorly consolidated rock and infrequent but torrential rain. The soft rock allows large quantities of water to channel down gullies, carrying away sediment. Bentonite clay within these formations can swell up with moisture. As the clay dries it shrinks and cracks, creating a surface resembling the skin of an elephant. Beneath the surface, an intricate maze of natural pipes and spaces form within the badlands. This hidden plumbing appears on the face of the badlands as dimples, sinks, slumps and seeps. As erosion continues, new features including caves and natural bridges can form. Badlands often take on varied colors giving the formations a banded appearance. These colorful badland formations were at Blue Mesa in Petrified Forest National Park near Holbrook, Arizona, USA.

Badlands are a particular type of rock formation found in arid regions around the world. These formations require poorly consolidated rock and infrequent but torrential rain. The soft rock allows large quantities of water to channel down gullies, carrying away sediment. Bentonite clay within these formations can swell up with moisture. As the clay dries it shrinks and cracks, creating a surface resembling the skin of an elephant. Beneath the surface, an intricate maze of natural pipes and spaces form within the badlands. This hidden plumbing appears on the face of the badlands as dimples, sinks, slumps and seeps. As erosion continues, new features including caves and natural bridges can form. Badlands often take on varied colors giving the formations a banded appearance. These colorful badland formations were photographed at sunset along the Agate House Trail in Petrified Forest National Park near Holbrook, Arizona, USA.

Petrified wood is formed when dead trees are buried by layers of sediment. The logs soak up groundwater and silica from volcanic ash and over time are crystallized into quartz. Different minerals create the colors seen in the logs. These petrified logs were photographed at sunset by the Agate House Trail in Petrified Forest National Park near Holbrook, Arizona, USA.

Petrified wood is formed when dead trees are buried by layers of sediment. The logs soak up groundwater and silica from volcanic ash and over time are crystallized into quartz. Different minerals create the colors seen in the logs. These petrified logs were photographed at sunset by the Agate House Trail in Petrified Forest National Park near Holbrook, Arizona, USA.

Petrified wood is formed when dead trees are buried by layers of sediment. The logs soak up groundwater and silica from volcanic ash and over time are crystallized into quartz. Different minerals create the colors seen in the logs. These petrified logs were photographed at sunset by the Agate House Trail in Petrified Forest National Park near Holbrook, Arizona, USA.

Badlands are a particular type of rock formation found in arid regions around the world. These formations require poorly consolidated rock and infrequent but torrential rain. The soft rock allows large quantities of water to channel down gullies, carrying away sediment. Bentonite clay within these formations can swell up with moisture. As the clay dries it shrinks and cracks, creating a surface resembling the skin of an elephant. Beneath the surface, an intricate maze of natural pipes and spaces form within the badlands. This hidden plumbing appears on the face of the badlands as dimples, sinks, slumps and seeps. As erosion continues, new features including caves and natural bridges can form. Badlands often take on varied colors giving the formations a banded appearance. These colorful badland formations were at Blue Mesa in Petrified Forest National Park near Holbrook, Arizona, USA.

Badlands are a particular type of rock formation found in arid regions around the world. These formations require poorly consolidated rock and infrequent but torrential rain. The soft rock allows large quantities of water to channel down gullies, carrying away sediment. Bentonite clay within these formations can swell up with moisture. As the clay dries it shrinks and cracks, creating a surface resembling the skin of an elephant. Beneath the surface, an intricate maze of natural pipes and spaces form within the badlands. This hidden plumbing appears on the face of the badlands as dimples, sinks, slumps and seeps. As erosion continues, new features including caves and natural bridges can form. Badlands often take on varied colors giving the formations a banded appearance. These colorful badland formations were photographed at sunset along the Agate House Trail in Petrified Forest National Park near Holbrook, Arizona, USA.

Petrified wood is formed when dead trees are buried by layers of sediment. The logs soak up groundwater and silica from volcanic ash and over time are crystallized into quartz. Different minerals create the colors seen in the logs. These petrified logs were photographed at sunset by the Agate House Trail in Petrified Forest National Park near Holbrook, Arizona, USA.

Badlands are a particular type of rock formation found in arid regions around the world. These formations require poorly consolidated rock and infrequent but torrential rain. The soft rock allows large quantities of water to channel down gullies, carrying away sediment. Bentonite clay within these formations can swell up with moisture. As the clay dries it shrinks and cracks, creating a surface resembling the skin of an elephant. Beneath the surface, an intricate maze of natural pipes and spaces form within the badlands. This hidden plumbing appears on the face of the badlands as dimples, sinks, slumps and seeps. As erosion continues, new features including caves and natural bridges can form. Badlands often take on varied colors giving the formations a banded appearance. These colorful badland formations were photographed at sunset along the Agate House Trail in Petrified Forest National Park near Holbrook, Arizona, USA.

Badlands are a particular type of rock formation found in arid regions around the world. These formations require poorly consolidated rock and infrequent but torrential rain. The soft rock allows large quantities of water to channel down gullies, carrying away sediment. Bentonite clay within these formations can swell up with moisture. As the clay dries it shrinks and cracks, creating a surface resembling the skin of an elephant. Beneath the surface, an intricate maze of natural pipes and spaces form within the badlands. This hidden plumbing appears on the face of the badlands as dimples, sinks, slumps and seeps. As erosion continues, new features including caves and natural bridges can form. Badlands often take on varied colors giving the formations a banded appearance. These colorful badland formations were at Blue Mesa in Petrified Forest National Park near Holbrook, Arizona, USA.

Badlands are a particular type of rock formation found in arid regions around the world. These formations require poorly consolidated rock and infrequent but torrential rain. The soft rock allows large quantities of water to channel down gullies, carrying away sediment. Bentonite clay within these formations can swell up with moisture. As the clay dries it shrinks and cracks, creating a surface resembling the skin of an elephant. Beneath the surface, an intricate maze of natural pipes and spaces form within the badlands. This hidden plumbing appears on the face of the badlands as dimples, sinks, slumps and seeps. As erosion continues, new features including caves and natural bridges can form. Badlands often take on varied colors giving the formations a banded appearance. These colorful badland formations were at Blue Mesa in Petrified Forest National Park near Holbrook, Arizona, USA.

The Painted Desert is an interesting and colorful part of Northern Arizona. It starts south of Holbrook and extends about 120 miles north almost to the Utah border. It encompasses about 7,500 square miles of the Colorado Plateau. The area is made up of colorful mudstone and sandstone known as the Chinle Formation. The rocks of the Chinle Formation were deposited from 227 to 205 million years ago during the Triassic Period. Over the next 180 million years the rocks were buried, uplifted and then eroded into the present-day badland topography. This picture of the Painted Desert was taken from Tiponi Point in Petrified Forest National Park near Holbrook, Arizona, USA.

Badlands are a particular type of rock formation found in arid regions around the world. These formations require poorly consolidated rock and infrequent but torrential rain. The soft rock allows large quantities of water to channel down gullies, carrying away sediment. Bentonite clay within these formations can swell up with moisture. As the clay dries it shrinks and cracks, creating a surface resembling the skin of an elephant. Beneath the surface, an intricate maze of natural pipes and spaces form within the badlands. This hidden plumbing appears on the face of the badlands as dimples, sinks, slumps and seeps. As erosion continues, new features including caves and natural bridges can form. Badlands often take on varied colors giving the formations a banded appearance. These colorful badland formations were photographed at sunset along the Agate House Trail in Petrified Forest National Park near Holbrook, Arizona, USA.

Badlands are a particular type of rock formation found in arid regions around the world. These formations require poorly consolidated rock and infrequent but torrential rain. The soft rock allows large quantities of water to channel down gullies, carrying away sediment. Bentonite clay within these formations can swell up with moisture. As the clay dries it shrinks and cracks, creating a surface resembling the skin of an elephant. Beneath the surface, an intricate maze of natural pipes and spaces form within the badlands. This hidden plumbing appears on the face of the badlands as dimples, sinks, slumps and seeps. As erosion continues, new features including caves and natural bridges can form. Badlands often take on varied colors giving the formations a banded appearance. These colorful badland formations were at Blue Mesa in Petrified Forest National Park near Holbrook, Arizona, USA.

The Painted Desert is an interesting and colorful part of Northern Arizona. It starts south of Holbrook and extends about 120 miles north almost to the Utah border. It encompasses about 7,500 square miles of the Colorado Plateau. The area is made up of colorful mudstone and sandstone known as the Chinle Formation. The rocks of the Chinle Formation were deposited from 227 to 205 million years ago during the Triassic Period. Over the next 180 million years the rocks were buried, uplifted and then eroded into the present-day badland topography. This picture of the Painted Desert was taken from Tiponi Point in Petrified Forest National Park near Holbrook, Arizona, USA.

Badlands are a particular type of rock formation found in arid regions around the world. These formations require poorly consolidated rock and infrequent but torrential rain. The soft rock allows large quantities of water to channel down gullies, carrying away sediment. Bentonite clay within these formations can swell up with moisture. As the clay dries it shrinks and cracks, creating a surface resembling the skin of an elephant. Beneath the surface, an intricate maze of natural pipes and spaces form within the badlands. This hidden plumbing appears on the face of the badlands as dimples, sinks, slumps and seeps. As erosion continues, new features including caves and natural bridges can form. Badlands often take on varied colors giving the formations a banded appearance. These colorful badland formations were at Blue Mesa in Petrified Forest National Park near Holbrook, Arizona, USA.

About 218 million years ago, flood waters carried fallen trees to this area and created a logjam. Some of these prehistoric trees stood as much as 200 feet tall. After being covered with sediment, the logs petrified over millions of years. Organic matter in the wood was replaced by silica from volcanic ash which then crystallized into quartz. Other minerals provided color to the petrified wood. These petrified logs are at the Long Logs Trail in Petrified Forest National Park near Holbrook, Arizona, USA.

The Painted Desert is an interesting and colorful part of Northern Arizona. It starts south of Holbrook and extends about 120 miles north almost to the Utah border. It encompasses about 7,500 square miles of the Colorado Plateau. The area is made up of colorful mudstone and sandstone known as the Chinle Formation. The rocks of the Chinle Formation were deposited from 227 to 205 million years ago during the Triassic Period. Over the next 180 million years the rocks were buried, uplifted and then eroded into the present-day badland topography. This picture of the Painted Desert was taken from Tiponi Point in Petrified Forest National Park near Holbrook, Arizona, USA.

About 218 million years ago, flood waters carried fallen trees to this area and created a logjam. Some of these prehistoric trees stood as much as 200 feet tall. After being covered with sediment, the logs petrified over millions of years. Organic matter in the wood was replaced by silica from volcanic ash which then crystallized into quartz. Other minerals provided color to the petrified wood. These petrified logs are at the Long Logs Trail in Petrified Forest National Park near Holbrook, Arizona, USA.

About 218 million years ago, flood waters carried fallen trees to this area and created a logjam. Some of these prehistoric trees stood as much as 200 feet tall. After being covered with sediment, the logs petrified over millions of years. Organic matter in the wood was replaced by silica from volcanic ash which then crystallized into quartz. Other minerals provided color to the petrified wood. These petrified logs are at the Long Logs Trail in Petrified Forest National Park near Holbrook, Arizona, USA.

About 218 million years ago, flood waters carried fallen trees to this area and created a logjam. Some of these prehistoric trees stood as much as 200 feet tall. After being covered with sediment, the logs petrified over millions of years. Organic matter in the wood was replaced by silica from volcanic ash which then crystallized into quartz. Other minerals provided color to the petrified wood. These petrified logs are at the Long Logs Trail in Petrified Forest National Park near Holbrook, Arizona, USA.

About 218 million years ago, flood waters carried fallen trees to this area and created a logjam. Some of these prehistoric trees stood as much as 200 feet tall. After being covered with sediment, the logs petrified over millions of years. Organic matter in the wood was replaced by silica from volcanic ash which then crystallized into quartz. Other minerals provided color to the petrified wood. These petrified logs are at the Long Logs Trail in Petrified Forest National Park near Holbrook, Arizona, USA.

Badlands are a particular type of rock formation found in arid regions around the world. These formations require poorly consolidated rock and infrequent but torrential rain. The soft rock allows large quantities of water to channel down gullies, carrying away sediment. Bentonite clay within these formations can swell up with moisture. As the clay dries it shrinks and cracks, creating a surface resembling the skin of an elephant. Beneath the surface, an intricate maze of natural pipes and spaces form within the badlands. This hidden plumbing appears on the face of the badlands as dimples, sinks, slumps and seeps. As erosion continues, new features including caves and natural bridges can form. Badlands often take on varied colors giving the formations a banded appearance. These colorful badland formations were at Blue Mesa in Petrified Forest National Park near Holbrook, Arizona, USA.

About 218 million years ago, flood waters carried fallen trees to this area and created a logjam. Some of these prehistoric trees stood as much as 200 feet tall. After being covered with sediment, the logs petrified over millions of years. Organic matter in the wood was replaced by silica from volcanic ash which then crystallized into quartz. Other minerals provided color to the petrified wood. These petrified logs are at the Long Logs Trail in Petrified Forest National Park near Holbrook, Arizona, USA.

About 218 million years ago, flood waters carried fallen trees to this area and created a logjam. Some of these prehistoric trees stood as much as 200 feet tall. After being covered with sediment, the logs petrified over millions of years. Organic matter in the wood was replaced by silica from volcanic ash which then crystallized into quartz. Other minerals provided color to the petrified wood. These petrified logs are at the Long Logs Trail in Petrified Forest National Park near Holbrook, Arizona, USA.

Badlands are a particular type of rock formation found in arid regions around the world. These formations require poorly consolidated rock and infrequent but torrential rain. The soft rock allows large quantities of water to channel down gullies, carrying away sediment. Bentonite clay within these formations can swell up with moisture. As the clay dries it shrinks and cracks, creating a surface resembling the skin of an elephant. Beneath the surface, an intricate maze of natural pipes and spaces form within the badlands. This hidden plumbing appears on the face of the badlands as dimples, sinks, slumps and seeps. As erosion continues, new features including caves and natural bridges can form. Badlands often take on varied colors giving the formations a banded appearance. These colorful badland formations were at Blue Mesa in Petrified Forest National Park near Holbrook, Arizona, USA.

Badlands are a particular type of rock formation found in arid regions around the world. These formations require poorly consolidated rock and infrequent but torrential rain. The soft rock allows large quantities of water to channel down gullies, carrying away sediment. Bentonite clay within these formations can swell up with moisture. As the clay dries it shrinks and cracks, creating a surface resembling the skin of an elephant. Beneath the surface, an intricate maze of natural pipes and spaces form within the badlands. This hidden plumbing appears on the face of the badlands as dimples, sinks, slumps and seeps. As erosion continues, new features including caves and natural bridges can form. Badlands often take on varied colors giving the formations a banded appearance. These colorful badland formations were at Blue Mesa in Petrified Forest National Park near Holbrook, Arizona, USA.

Badlands are a particular type of rock formation found in arid regions around the world. These formations require poorly consolidated rock and infrequent but torrential rain. The soft rock allows large quantities of water to channel down gullies, carrying away sediment. Bentonite clay within these formations can swell up with moisture. As the clay dries it shrinks and cracks, creating a surface resembling the skin of an elephant. Beneath the surface, an intricate maze of natural pipes and spaces form within the badlands. This hidden plumbing appears on the face of the badlands as dimples, sinks, slumps and seeps. As erosion continues, new features including caves and natural bridges can form. Badlands often take on varied colors giving the formations a banded appearance. These colorful badland formations were at Blue Mesa in Petrified Forest National Park near Holbrook, Arizona, USA.

Badlands are a particular type of rock formation found in arid regions around the world. These formations require poorly consolidated rock and infrequent but torrential rain. The soft rock allows large quantities of water to channel down gullies, carrying away sediment. Bentonite clay within these formations can swell up with moisture. As the clay dries it shrinks and cracks, creating a surface resembling the skin of an elephant. Beneath the surface, an intricate maze of natural pipes and spaces form within the badlands. This hidden plumbing appears on the face of the badlands as dimples, sinks, slumps and seeps. As erosion continues, new features including caves and natural bridges can form. Badlands often take on varied colors giving the formations a banded appearance. These colorful badland formations were at Blue Mesa in Petrified Forest National Park near Holbrook, Arizona, USA.

Badlands are a particular type of rock formation found in arid regions around the world. These formations require poorly consolidated rock and infrequent but torrential rain. The soft rock allows large quantities of water to channel down gullies, carrying away sediment. Bentonite clay within these formations can swell up with moisture. As the clay dries it shrinks and cracks, creating a surface resembling the skin of an elephant. Beneath the surface, an intricate maze of natural pipes and spaces form within the badlands. This hidden plumbing appears on the face of the badlands as dimples, sinks, slumps and seeps. As erosion continues, new features including caves and natural bridges can form. Badlands often take on varied colors giving the formations a banded appearance. These colorful badland formations were at Blue Mesa in Petrified Forest National Park near Holbrook, Arizona, USA.

About 218 million years ago, flood waters carried fallen trees to this area and created a logjam. Some of these prehistoric trees stood as much as 200 feet tall. After being covered with sediment, the logs petrified over millions of years. Organic matter in the wood was replaced by silica from volcanic ash which then crystallized into quartz. Other minerals provided color to the petrified wood. These petrified logs are at the Long Logs Trail in Petrified Forest National Park near Holbrook, Arizona, USA.

About 218 million years ago, flood waters carried fallen trees to this area and created a logjam. Some of these prehistoric trees stood as much as 200 feet tall. After being covered with sediment, the logs petrified over millions of years. Organic matter in the wood was replaced by silica from volcanic ash which then crystallized into quartz. Other minerals provided color to the petrified wood. These petrified logs are at the Long Logs Trail in Petrified Forest National Park near Holbrook, Arizona, USA.

The Painted Desert is an interesting and colorful part of Northern Arizona. It starts south of Holbrook and extends about 120 miles north almost to the Utah border. It encompasses about 7,500 square miles of the Colorado Plateau. The area is made up of colorful mudstone and sandstone known as the Chinle Formation. The rocks of the Chinle Formation were deposited from 227 to 205 million years ago during the Triassic Period. Over the next 180 million years the rocks were buried, uplifted and then eroded into the present-day badland topography. This picture of the Painted Desert was taken from Tiponi Point in Petrified Forest National Park near Holbrook, Arizona, USA.

Historic US Highway 66, known as the “Mother Road”, is more than just a stretch of pavement. It is also an American icon, a symbol of opportunity, adventure and discovery. US Highway 66 better known in literature, song, and story as Route 66, was a ribbon of roadway over two thousand miles long that connected Middle America to the Pacific coast. Beginning in 1926, Route 66 fulfilled different needs in each subsequent decade. In the 1930’s it was the main travel corridor for migrating families fleeing the Dust Bowl. In the 1940’s, during World War II, the road was filled with military traffic. In the 1950’s Route 66 came into its own as motorists took to the road to explore the nation with a freedom never felt before. In the next decades as the interstate highway system was being developed, drivers bypassed Route 66 in favor of the faster freeways. Unfortunately, the tourists also bypassed the small towns that gave the Mother Road its character and appeal. Petrified Forest is the only National Park in the country that contains a section of Historic Route 66. This stretch of Route 66 was open from 1926 until 1958 and was the primary way millions of travelers accessed the Petrified Forest and Painted Desert. Near Tiponi Point and the Painted Desert a section of the original roadbed has been preserved along with interpretive signs and a rusty 1932 Studebaker. The Route 66 interpretive center is in Petrified Forest National Park near Holbrook, Arizona, USA.

The Painted Desert is an interesting and colorful part of Northern Arizona. It starts south of Holbrook and extends about 120 miles north almost to the Utah border. It encompasses about 7,500 square miles of the Colorado Plateau. The area is made up of colorful mudstone and sandstone known as the Chinle Formation. The rocks of the Chinle Formation were deposited from 227 to 205 million years ago during the Triassic Period. Over the next 180 million years the rocks were buried, uplifted and then eroded into the present-day badland topography. This picture of the Painted Desert was taken from Kachina Point in Petrified Forest National Park near Holbrook, Arizona, USA.

Badlands are a particular type of rock formation found in arid regions around the world. These formations require poorly consolidated rock and infrequent but torrential rain. The soft rock allows large quantities of water to channel down gullies, carrying away sediment. Bentonite clay within these formations can swell up with moisture. As the clay dries it shrinks and cracks, creating a surface resembling the skin of an elephant. Beneath the surface, an intricate maze of natural pipes and spaces form within the badlands. This hidden plumbing appears on the face of the badlands as dimples, sinks, slumps and seeps. As erosion continues, new features including caves and natural bridges can form. Badlands often take on varied colors giving the formations a banded appearance. These colorful badland formations were at Blue Mesa in Petrified Forest National Park near Holbrook, Arizona, USA.