Towards that later part of the day we arrived at the Petrified Forest National Park. We had to rush through the park as we arrived at 4pm. and the park closes at 5pm. All visitors must be out by 5pm. — there is a large problem with folks stealing petrified wood.

The Petrified Forest is located in the Painted Desert where the ground itself is very colourful. There are layers of white sandstone, dark red (iron oxide) silt stone, and blends of yellow, orange, and purple — this is some of the same rock visible in the Capitol Reef.

Here is a photograph of a particularly colourful example of petrified wood.

 

Sunset Crater and Wupatki National Monument 1995
White Sands, Stallion Missile Range 1995