By China Cassidy The Petrified Forest National Park recently announced that due to COVID-19, they have had to adjust the way they are operating but are still welcoming visitors to enjoy the activities the park has to offer. The park did have to limit some of the exhibits because certain ones are interactive but have made accommodations throughout the park to be able to still offer some of their programs. Chief of Interpretation Sarah Herve explained, “What we’re doing is we’re limiting the number of people that can go into those buildings (and) we’ve put things in place for people to social distance.” The park is also following Center for Disease Control (CDC) guidelines by cleaning and wiping all surfaces whenever possible. Herve added that the capacity limit for each building is less than half of what they normally allow, not including the staff that need to be present as well. “That number is not fixed, it could change considering, if there are less cases or more cases,” offered Herve. The demonstration lab operations, like the fossil lab, were brought to a halt for a period but is now able to resume. “So, for a while, we just flat out had that closed because we just couldn’t figure out to do it safely. But we got some baby monitors so people can talk to the curator,” explained Herve. For those who have spent the majority of their free time indoors since late March and looking to get out and explore, the park offers miles of natural and man-made walking paths. For the more adventurous types, there are potentially thousands of acres of wilderness for an off-the-beaten-path experience. The park also has roughly seven miles of developed trails for a more easy going experience. The park encourages families to attend the park together for adventures discovering new plants and adding them to the park’s database through the I-Naturalist app. For those interested in spending a little more time exploring the park with the kids, the park has a Junior Ranger Program where everyone is welcome to participate and earn a badge. “The Junior Ranger Program is intended for kids but anyone can become a junior ranger. We have a booklet that includes activities little kids or big kids can do as they explore the park and when they complete their junior ranger booklet, they can get a badge that has Junior Ranger on it,” relayed Herve. The park also offers fun for the furry friends in the family unlike most national parks. Families can take their dogs to be part of the free Bark Ranger Program. “We’re very dog friendly, so the way we show how dog friendly we are is we have a Bark Ranger Program. When people bring their dogs, we have a packet of biscuits we give and note card that basically explains what being a Bark Ranger means. It’s just a way to encourage people to enjoy the park with their dogs but do it responsibly,” explained Herve. The bookstore/gift shop is still welcoming visitors as well. “At the north end we’ve got a gift shop that’s run by our concessionaire and they are also limiting numbers of people and they’re requiring that visitors wear masks but they can do that because they’re a private business. There is a shop down at the rainbow forest area, called the Rainbow Forest Lodge and they’re exercising the same protocols.” Although the Painted Desert Inn is closed at the moment, a virtual tour is in the works. Herve offered, “We’re planning on putting a QR code on a sign on the Painted Desert Inn so that people can use their smart phones and download a tour of the Painted Desert Inn.” Operations will continue through normal hours, which are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is $25 per vehicle good for seven days. Annual passes are $45 and the America the Beautiful pass is $80 per year and good for all parks. If people need help trip planning, there are rangers available in the visitor orientation center. While the park cannot mandate face coverings, Herve noted that people take precautions to keep everyone as safe as possible. “We’re just asking that people to practice social distancing. That’s probably one of our biggest messages. And then we strongly recommend wearing a mask, and we really appreciate it when visitors do.”
