Petrified Forest National Park

Photo in the Public Domain.

Petrified Forest National Park is part of the Tentative list of United States of America in order to qualify for inclusion in the World Heritage List. It is a proposed extension of WHS.

Petrified Forest National Park is one of the premier locations in the world to study the ecosystem of the Late Triassic Epoch, and contains the largest deposits of petrified wood in the world. In addition to trees, fossils of plants such as ferns, cycads, and gingkoes have also been found in the Arizona park. Fossilized animals include invertebrates, such as freshwater snails and clams, and vertebrates, such as phytosaurs and early dinosaurs.

Map of Petrified Forest National Park

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The coordinates shown for all tentative sites were produced as a community effort. They are not official and may change on inscription.

Community Reviews

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Kyle Magnuson

California - United States of America - 28-Nov-22 -

Petrified Forest National Park (T) by Kyle Magnuson

I revisited the park in November 2022, exclusively exploring the "Painted Desert" North Entrance area of the park (after allocating more time via the South Entrance in 2010). Hiking the easy, yet rewarding Painted Desert Rim Trail (1.2 miles) from Tawa Point to the Painted Desert Inn/Kachina Point is an essential experience during the magical hour before sunset. The Painted Desert Inn (built 1937-1940) just off the original alignment of Route 66 is a historic gem of Pueblo Revival Architecture, which includes designs from Mary Jane Colter (also known for her 'Parkitecture' properties at the Grand Canyon). The Painted Desert Inn is a National Historic Landmark. 

The Petrified Forest National Park has doubled in size since the early 2000's. Much of the expansion land was already being authorized even as the 2008 nomination was officially added to the US Tentative List (from 93,533 acres to 221,390 acres). The values of the park are perhaps more diverse than the originally proposed criteria (vii, viii). I would much prefer the nomination (when and if it comes to fruition) to seek inscription based on cultural and natural criteria. Here is the US ICOMOS World Heritage Celebration Video highlighting the OUV of Petrified Forest National Park. 

For travellers wishing to explore the parks wilderness areas, such as Devil's Playground (three permits are available each week on a first-come-first-serve basis at the Painted Desert Visitor Center only). Additionally, there are also plenty of longer hikes that offer rewarding experiences, such as the Onyx Bridge Hike (4.6 miles). I know for my next revist, I will be looking at one of these opportunities with excitement.

 

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Kyle Magnuson

California - United States of America - 02-Jun-10 -

Petrified Forest National Park (T) by Kyle Magnuson

The Petrified Forest is surreal. You might imagine the surface of another planet would look like this. The landscape is desolate yet beautiful. The fascinating petrified wood is scattered everywhere. The Petrified wood being hundreds of millions of years old it's a humbling display of our ancient world. The park could be separated into two unique sections, the petrified wood landscape in the south and the Painted Desert in the northern section. You need at least 2-3 hrs to visit the park properly. Enjoy this wondrous place, and if you go in the summer bring an umbrella and sun tan lotion.

Recently, the park has expanded to include large areas to the East and West. This area includes countless petroglyphs and a section of Route 66 is protected in the park. The proximity of this NPS site is near Navajo Nation, which should be on anyone's itinerary if you have the time. Flagstaff is the nearest location for a central point to make trips in this part of Arizona.

Petrified Forest National Park (6)

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Full Name
Petrified Forest National Park
Country
United States of America
Added
2008
Extension of
WHS
Type
Natural
Categories
Paleontology - Non-hominid fossils
Link
By ID
2008 Added to Tentative List

The site has 1 locations

Petrified Forest National Park (T)
WHS 1997-2024