Petrified Forest National Park Off The Beaten Path Tips by catalysta Top 5 Page for this destination

Hoodoos Closeup

A zoomed view...
Hoodoos are irregular rock figures, formed by the action of the wind & water on sedimentary rocks that alternate in layers of both soft & hard rock. This gives them a unique and uneven appearance (as opposed to spires, which are more uniform and smooth).
The spirits of hoodoos are apparent when the wind sings & howls around them, and the heat shimmers on them, bringing these strange forms to life with an eerie presence.

Hoodoos of the Mesa

This is an eerie land, full of wind-sculpted hoodoos and strange spirits. Keep to the trail, please don't venture off. Desert life is very fragile, and can take a long time to recover if damaged.
Take no souvenirs, leave no footprints...

Descent into the realm of the Blue Mesa

Once upon a time, this entire region was a floodplain. Giants of the forest slithered through the swamps, while others skulked amongst the huge ferns, waiting to nab unsuspecting herbivores as they passed by. Layers and layers of volcanic ash, river silt, and water rich with silica and other minerals gradually covered the remains of the prehistoric flora & fauna.

The remains of the forest

Now we can explore the fossils they left behind as they gradually emerge from the windblown sedimentary mesas.
The Blue Mesa trail offers a closer look at all of this, winding for about a mile down into the valley, and then back up.