Visitors to Petrified Forest National Park are invited to attend the special programs scheduled in the coming days.
Abstract Design: Monochrome Photography in the Petrified Forest will be offered by the Petrified Forest Field Institute from 7:30 a.m. to noon on Saturday, June 18. Discover the simple beauty of the natural design in monochromatic images of this ancient landscape. Among the fascinating backdrops of the Tepees, Blue Mesa and Crystal Forest, this workshop will introduce participants to the concept of seeing things in a different way. Through careful composition and exposure settings, transform landscapes into abstract designs consisting of shape and tonal values of light and dark. This workshop is best enjoyed by intermediate and advanced level users. An additional fee is required. For more information, go online to http://www.petrifiedforestfieldinstitute.org/.
Solar marker solstice viewing and a petroglyph walk will be offered at 8:30 a.m. Sunday through Tuesday, June 19-21, at Puerco Pueblo. Solar markers (petroglyphs that interact with sunlight and shadow to mark solstices and equinoxes) are found throughout the Southwest, including the Puerco Pueblo area of Petrified Forest. A short paved trail at Puerco Pueblo leads to a boulder featuring a small spiral petroglyph. During solstice, a shaft of sunlight projects down to touch the center of the spiral, peaking about 9 a.m. Join a ranger onsite between 8:30 and 9:30 a.m. daily to experience this event, followed by an opportunity to join the ranger on a half-mile walk to enjoy other compelling petroglyphs nearby.
An overnight summer solstice archaeoastronomical site visit is being offered by Petrified Forest Field Institute from Monday, June 20 through Tuesday, June 21. The ancient inhabitants of Petrified Forest were intimately connected to the rhythms of their natural environment. Join a cross-country overnight backpack trip to visit a 1000-year-old petroglyph, and witness the sun bisecting it at the precise moment of the summer solstice. Look at their website for more information, an additional fee is required.
Shapes and Colors of the Painted Desert will be offered by Petrified Forest Field Institute from 1 to 5 p.m. on Saturday, June 25. Bring a canvas or some paper and your favorite art medium to explore the light and shadows, colors and shapes of the inspiring and compelling vistas of the Painted Desert. Join Carol Sletten as she helps participants find and express their own unique artistic vision. Look at their website for more information, an additional fee is required.
Hands-on Biology: Reptiles and Amphibians—Nighttime will be offered by the Petrified Forest Field Institute from 7 p.m. to 12 a.m. on Wednesday, June 29. The high quality grassland, riparian, and badlands habitats in the Petrified Forest National Park support a large variety of animals. Most of the animals are very secretive, and several are nocturnal. Only after the park closes and the roads are clear can you see many of the reptiles, amphibians, mammals, and birds that move and hunt after dark. Drive slowly down the 28 miles of the main park road starting at sunset, stopping to take data on each animal seen with a wildlife biologist. Look at their website for more information, an additional fee is required.
The Living Park Talk is given at 9:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. daily at the Painted Desert Visitor Center. There is life in this desert and it is thriving. Enjoy an introduction to the plants and animals that call Petrified Forest home. Allow 30 minutes.
The Triassic Park Talk is offered at noon and 2 p.m. daily at the Crystal Forest shade shelter. Discover how Petrified Forest came to be by going back in time to the Late Triassic some 225 million years ago. Meet at the shade shelter up a small hill from the Crystal Forest parking lot. Allow 30 minutes.
Find Your Park. Go online to findyourpark.com/share anytime and celebrate the National Park Service’s centennial by sharing your own story! Browse the official Find Your Park website for inspiration, then upload your own song, photo, painting, poem, dance, video–anything you’d like to share about your Petrified Forest visit.
In addition, cultural demonstrators with ancestral ties to the area share engaging skills and traditions from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily at the Painted Desert Inn.
Geocaching is available daily at selected locations throughout the park. Anyone with a GPS device can play! There are several geocaches at Petrified Forest National Park where a hidden container can be found and a logbook signed. For more information on geocaching, visit Geocaching.com.
Junior Ranger programs are offered daily, offering youngsters an opportunity to explore, learn about and protect their national parks! Fun activities engage young visitors at Petrified Forest, and are rewarded with a badge and patch by finishing the appropriate number of activities. Pick up a booklet at any park visitor center.
Take part in the Junior Paleontologist Program by picking up a booklet at any park visitor center. Explore the ways paleontologists work, learn about Earth’s history, and protect our national parks, including fossils and the rocks in which they are found. Earn a special paleontology badge by finishing this booklet.
Tours of the Painted Desert Inn are offered anytime between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. daily at the park. The inn is a beautiful building with rich history and stunning views to boot. Ask any staff member in the building to give you a brief, personal tour during your visit, and if they can, they will.
