Frommer's National Parks of the American West - Don Laine [320]
Even without these wonders, it would be worth coming here to see the rich reds, grays, and maroons of the Painted Desert. Shaped like a tusk (with the wider end near Cameron, Arizona), the desert spreads from near Holbrook in the south to the Hopi mesas in the northeast to near the Grand Canyon in the west—far beyond the boundaries of the park. Its seemingly barren landscape is home to a rich diversity of plant and animal life: desert grasses; wildflowers, including Indian paintbrush and globemallow; juniper and other trees; mammals, including pronghorns, cottontails, and porcupines; reptiles, including collared lizards and western rattlesnakes; and birds, the most prominent being the raven.
Avoiding the Crowds. Just under 600,000 people visit the park each year, in part because it is so convenient for cross-country travelers, just a few hundred yards off I-40. Virtually everyone heads down the same 28-mile scenic drive, and the drive's 20 pullouts can get crowded.
Michele M. Hellickson, the park's former superintendent, offers three suggestions for avoiding the crowds. First, arrive early in the day. "There aren't many visitors in the first few hours," she says. "It's also before the heat of the day, and the lighting on the rocks is spectacular." Second, stroll away from the parking areas. "Where there are pullouts, there are going to be people," Hellickson says. "But if you park at some of the pullouts and walk the length of the trails, you'll soon be away from the crowds. This will give you a chance to sit and hear the sounds of the desert and maybe get a picture that's different from everyone else's." Third, day-hike into the Painted Desert Wilderness. "That's the instant answer," says Hellickson. "I think it's relatively easy to do in this terrain. It's a landscape that lends itself to going out and exploring, with less fear involved."
Just the Facts
GETTING THERE & GATEWAYS
Petrified Forest National Park is 117 miles east of Flagstaff and 180 miles north of Phoenix. The north entrance is 25 miles east of Holbrook on I-40; the south entrance is 20 miles east of Holbrook on U.S. 180. From Flagstaff, simply take I-40 east.
The Nearest Airport. Flagstaff's Pulliam Airport (☎ 928/556-1234) is served by America West Airlines, and has rental cars from Avis, Budget, Hertz, and National. Toll-free reservation numbers are in the appendix (p. 660–661).
INFORMATION
Contact Petrified Forest National Park, P.O. Box 2217, Petrified Forest National Park, AZ 86028 (☎ 928/524-6228; www. nps.gov/pefo). The Petrified Forest Museum Association (www.cybertrails.com/~pfma) publishes several excellent books on the park. Written by retired geology professor Sidney Ash, Petrified Forest: The Story Behind the Scenery provides a good overview of the human and natural history of the park. Stephen Trimble's colorful book Earth Journey: A Road Guide to Petrified Forest is almost as good as a guided tour of the park's scenic drive. Contact the association through the Holbrook Chamber of Commerce (see below).
For information about area lodging and dining, contact the Holbrook Chamber of Commerce, 100 E. Arizona St., Holbrook, AZ 86025 (☎ 800/ 524-2459 or 928/524-6558; www.ci. holbrook.az.us).
VISITOR CENTERS
The park has a visitor center at each end. Both sell books, videos, and area maps, and offer free brochures on the park's geology, flora, and fauna. Both centers are open daily year-round from 8am to 5pm (closed Dec 25), and both have bookstores.
The Painted Desert Visitor Center, outside the park's north entrance gate, has general information on the park and shows a 20-minute film about the park on the hour and the half-hour. Two miles north of the park's south entrance station, the Rainbow Forest Museum has displays on the formation of petrified