Arizona's petrified forest dates back 219 to 225 million years ... back to an age when dinosaurs ruled the planet. The climate was much different then, and this desert area was then covered with lakes, swamps and streams. What has made this land unique today is its large collection of petrified pine trees, some as long as 200 feet. The ancient trees have been well preserved by a natural process. The fallen crystallized forest is found scattered all over the rolling hills of the Petrified Forest National Park and Painted Desert.
   The Painted Desert, as well as the Petrified Forest sister park, covers a large swath of land bordering Arizona's Navajo Nation Reservation. The two adjacent parks may be enjoyed over a 28 mile scenic drive, displaying a desert landscape where varied multicolored sandstone, shale and clay create a landscape of colorful badland buttes, ridges and mesas. These earth-tones include blues, grays, reds, oranges, lavender and white. The park also features ancient Indian ruins, ancient rock art and hiking trails. Many of the sights can be seen from the roadside, from where the majority of visitors seldom stray.
   This view features a brittle log bridge found in the northern section of the Painted Desert along a trail from Chinde Point. Remarkably, some of the petrified logs have retained some of the finest details, including tree knots, rings and some tiny remnants of bark.

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