This past Sunday we went on a family trip to Petrified Forest National Park, and it's a trip that I would HIGHLY recommend to others. Not only was the trip gorgeous, but it was also educational, inexpensive and a ton of fun for everyone in the family!
Petrified Forest National Park includes the petrified forest, the painted desert, petroglyphs, Sinauga ruins, and the only section of old Route 66 protected in a national park. There's a lot to see, but if you're not headed into one of the park's two wilderness areas, it's very doable as a one day adventure. You might not think it would be the case, but the park is a perfect trip for preschoolers! (Mine had such a great time that the next day they were asking when we could go back.) Almost all of the trails in the park are under 1 mile in length, and paved. Most are also stroller friendly! The road through the park is a 28 mile adventure, featuring amazing views and numerous pullouts with informational plaques as well as the walking trails. We would definitely recommend doing all the different trails along the way, and did all but 2 of the park's trails on our one day adventure with 3 children under 5 (including an infant.)
Now that you know what you'll be able to see, let's talk about what you can do. Kids can participate in the Junior Ranger program. These vary form park to park, and in this case the booklet includes a section with activities perfect for preschoolers featuring learning basics such as shape recognition. The booklet encourages them to explore the things in the park, and teaches a lot to us older folks as well. There are ranger guided walks at various spots in the park throughout the day for those who would like to go a little more in depth, though I wouldn't recommend these for those with younger children.
You're thinking this might be a fun day trip, but you're still wondering about the cost... Well have no fear! Aside from the cost of the bag lunch you bring, and the gas for your drive through the park- you can do this trip for about $16- and that INCLUDES souvenirs for the whole family! How? Park entry is $10. That $10 includes your entry into the park for an entire week, and a park map with lots of information. Stop by the visitor's center for a FREE copy of the park newspaper, and also to get your kids the booklet for the FREE Jr. Ranger Program. When your children complete the program they will each receive a Jr Ranger patch, AND pin. For more information pick up the pamphlet for the self-guided Big Logs trail. You can use these for FREE, or pay a nominal 50 cents to take them with you (which I personally would recommend). Now what about those souvenirs? Stop by the Rainbow Forest gift shop and take a look around. A lot of nice things might catch your eye, but if you look up on the shelves next to the register, you can get a bargain box full of actual petrified wood pieces for just $5. There are plenty of pieces in there to go around, believe me! Other great bargain souvenirs in the park shop include post cards for 25 cents, and a small poster map of the park to color, or image of the petroglphs on petrified rock, for $2 each.
(Jr Rangers!)
1 comment:
There is also FREE camping just beyond the Rainbow Forest Museum end of park. It is free, but it is also unimproved. Basically an open lot when you are allowed to stay. I wouldn't recommend staying here if you have small children. And think it would be most comfortable with an RV of some sort.
Also after writing out all the information about this trip, I realized I had forgotten to include stuff about what we really did together. I'll make another post about that. :-)
Post a Comment