Arizona - Painted Desert and Petrified Forest National Parks

[jvett77]

These parks are two hours east of Flagstaff on Interstate 40. The Painted Desert is an area of 7,000 square miles of brilliantly colored hills and eroded rock formations that includes the Petrified Forest to the south. The Petrified Forest is known for its fossils and fallen trees from the Triassic period, 200 million years ago. The parks offer some of the most unusual landscapes you'll even see.

 

[Sexual Chocolate]

These parks are two hours east of Flagstaff on Interstate 40. The Painted Desert is an area of 7,000 square miles of brilliantly colored hills and eroded rock formations that includes the Petrified Forest to the south. The Petrified Forest is known for its fossils and fallen trees from the Triassic period, 200 million years ago. The parks offer some of the most unusual landscapes you'll even see.

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Do I need to get a day pass and drive through or can I see this from 40?

 

[jvett77]

Do I need to get a day pass and drive through or can I see this from 40?

$20 entrance fee gives you 7 days. The total drive is 28 miles. You can enter south via Holbrook, or north entrance, near I40. Cute blond park ranger at south entrance.

 

[gob]

$20 entrance fee gives you 7 days. The total drive is 28 miles. You can enter south via Holbrook, or north entrance, near I40. Cute blond park ranger at south entrance.

I'm listening....

 

[jvett77]

I'm listening....

....so, the next day I returned to the park, this time with no trousers on but it had no effect and she just waved me on. Sad.

 

[jvett77]

Do I need to get a day pass and drive through or can I see this from 40?

You can see painted desert scenery from 40 but you won’t the sites pictured above.

 

[True Lakers Fan]

Do I need to get a day pass and drive through or can I see this from 40?

What I always do is I purchase the annual pass to the national parks and monuments. It's well worth it if you are going to more then one park. Petrified National Park has a fee for going inside as do most of them. If you are going through that area, Rainbow Canyon near Page, Ca and south of Grand Canyon is really nice. It won't be on your radar because it is on a indian reservation, but more then worth it. I will see if I can find a few pictures later today and post them