TRIASSIC PARK

Petrified Forest was set aside as a national monument in 1906 and was made a national park in 1962, but its natural wonder dates back to the Late Triassic period. Today, it protects one of the world's largest and most colorful concentrations of petrified wood, as well as historic structures, archaeological sites, native grasslands, 200 million-year-old fossils and the multihued badlands of the Painted Desert. The park is open to the public, but only a few get access to the backcountry. Our photographer was one of the few.

ABOVE: Bentonite is a product of altered volcanic ash, which expands, contracts and erodes over time, resulting in a surface texture that some liken to elephant skin.

FOLLOWING PANEL: Early morning light brings out the vivid reds and greens of the park’s natural features, as seen from the Pintado Point Overlook. Among national parks, Petrified Forest is noted for the clarity of its air.

At first glance, the Black Forest area of the park resembles a barren wasteland, but a closer look reveals rare beauty in a region eroded by summer monsoon rains and occasional heavy winter snows.

For more information about Petrified Forest National Park, call 928-524-6228 or visit www.nps.gov/pefo.AH