Like a striking canvas, the Painted Desert builds layer upon layer of color on hills made of siltstone, mudstone, and shale. The resulting view highlights the region's name, alternating oranges, white, reds, and pinks. This badlands area was formed of volcanic rock and limestone revealed by erosion over the years. Drive through the region along a paved road that stretches over plateaus on Navajo land with many lookout points. Choose to start, finish, or center your holiday on a trip to Painted Desert by using our Petrified Forest National Park online vacation planner.
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Painted Desert reviews
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We took a side trip to the park on our way to the GCNP. Upon entering, one is immediately left breathless by the view. It seems to go on forever, sharing its vibrant colors with the world... more »
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Worth a drive if in the Petrified National Forest. It is very pretty, especially when the sunset hits it in the afternoon. more »
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This was our third visit to this most amazing area and we are still "oowing and aahing" about it. We loved the Blue Mesa and the Agate Bridge. There is so much to do and see in this amazing... more »
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The most beautiful place I've ever seen it was worth the trip
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A MUST SEE! Drive the entire park road and stop at every pull off. The scenery changes at every one, and all the park employees are amazing.
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A fascinating landscape, kind of. Not as dramatic as Grand Canyon or Yellowstone. But it has its own beauty. Quiet, melancholic. You look at all this red, white and sometimes green colours and see a vast never ending plain full of melancholic poetry.
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So the actual park is great! But this is the wrong location. The real Painted Desert is in Petrified Forest National Park (North of I-40). Unfortunately, it appears that this location was added incorrectly. Go to the Petrified Forest North Entrance and drive through to see this attraction. It's well worth it!
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Love it well worth seeing every body there was so nice !
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