Late Summer Programs at Petrified Forest National Park 2011

Wild Hike with a Ranger

NPS Photo

News Release Date: July 15, 2011

Contact: Kenya Finley, 928-524-6228 x233

Petrified Forest, AZ—What are you doing this summer? Come to Petrified Forest National Park for a variety of activities, from self-guided tours to adventures with rangers. This August and early September, programs will include:

Daily Programs

12:00 pm Painted Desert Inn Tour: Explore this intriguing National Historic Landmark with a ranger and discover its fascinating past.

10:00 am, 1:00 pm, and 3:00 pm Triassic Program:  How did these once living trees turn to stone? Meet in the Rainbow Forest Museum sunroom. Find out on this ranger talk or easy guided walk along the Giant Logs Trail. There are some stairs along the trail.

9:00 am, 1:00 pm, and 3:00 pm Puerco Pueblo Program: Find out about the ancestral Puebloan people who once lived in this 100-room pueblo. Meet at the Puerco Pueblo Trail at the south end of the parking lot for an easy ranger-guided 1/3 mile walk.

Weekly Programs

Thursdays, 11 am, Plaza Talk—Join a ranger for a short talk about the park at the Painted Desert Visitor Center, including artifacts and fossils. This hands-on presentation is great for kids!

Special Activities

Backcountry Adventures! These off-trail hikes are not accessible. Most hikes are best for children over 12. Be sure to bring plenty of water, bring snacks, appropriate shoes, and use sun protection. Space is limited: first-come, first-served.

Saturday, August 6: Off the Beaten Path: Lacey Point Hike—Enjoy the wild Painted Desert and discover petroglyphs! Meet at the Painted Desert Visitor Center at 8 am before heading into the park.

Saturday, August 13: Off the Beaten Path: Petroglyph Canyon Hike—Discover petroglyphs in the backcountry! Bring field glasses. Meet at the Rainbow Forest Museum at 8 am before heading into the park.

Friday, August 19: Off the Beaten Path: Clam Beds/Old 180 Geology—Join a ranger for an exploration of Late Triassic geology—look for clues to an ancient river system. Meet at the Rainbow Forest Museum at 8:30 am before heading to the start of this off-trail hike. Great for kids 7 and up.

Saturday, August 20: Off the Beaten Path: Onyx Bridge and Wilderness Petroglyphs—Take a walk into the wilderness to view a long petrified log and discover petroglyphs on the way. Meet at Painted Desert National Historic Landmark at 8 am.

Friday, August 26: Off the Beaten Path: The Dying Grounds Hike— Join a ranger for an adventure into the Late Triassic—paleontology at Petrified Forest, past and present. Meet at the Painted Desert Visitor Center at 8:30 am before heading into the park. This off-trail hike will start at the Tepees pullout. Great for kids 7 and up.

Saturday, August 27: Off the Beaten Path: Puerco Petroglyphs—Discover the petroglyphs that can’t be seen from the regular trail. Meet at the Puerco Pueblo park lot at 8 am.

Saturday, September 3: Off the Beaten Path: Lacey Point Hike—Enjoy the wild Painted Desert and discover petroglyphs! Meet at the Painted Desert Visitor Center at 8 am before heading into the park.

For information call [phone], 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Mountain Standard Time (MST); or write to the Superintendent, Petrified Forest National Park, P.O. Box 2217, Petrified Forest, AZ 86028; or e-mail the park Superintendent.