The Painted Desert is an expansive region of rocky badlands and buttes, encompassing more than 93,500 acres in Northern Arizona.
This vast landscape features layers of rock in hues of lavender, red, orange ,pink, and gray. The various colors are the result of the different mineral content of the sandstone, mud stone, and shale of the Chinle Formation. It is amazing how beautiful dirt and rocks can be!
The section of the Painted Desert that we visited is located in the northern part of the Petrified Forest National Park. Take exit 311 going east or west on I-40.
I would recommend allowing at least a couple of hours for the 28-mile drive through the park. The first part, north of the interstate, will be the Painted Desert. The rest of the drive is the Petrified Forest. Both have many place to stop and walk around.
Address:
1 Park Road, PO Box 2217
Petrified Forest, AZ 86028
Happy Travels!