Sound of Silence Trail Stop 14

Singleleaf Ash trees are unique to the American Southwest.

NPS Photo/Conrad Provan

Quick Facts

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Scenic View/Photo Spot

On this ridge, take a moment to rest in the shade of the small Singleleaf Ash tree, a species unique to the American Southwest. Surviving by means of deep roots and sheer perseverance, they often take on a dwarfed appearance. Unlike most species of ash trees, which have compound leaves, this western ash has a single leaf on each stem. The red rock ridge underneath you is the Chinle Formation, formed during a time when rivers, marshes, and small lakes covered the landscape. Plants would not have included a flowering tree like the Singleleaf Ash. Instead, conifers, cycads, ferns, and horsetail plants grew here. Dinosaurs made their first appearance in this time period, about 225 million years ago. Coelophysis, a three-toed, therapod dinosaur about the size of a large dog, roamed the land. Large crocodile-type creatures called phytosaurs lurked in the waters. Imagine how different the sounds of the Triassic would be from the sounds of today!