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Petrified Forest National Park has reopened, along with Painted Desert Visitor Center and Rainbow Forest Museum. There are no limitations on access to most of the park attractions and established trails.

Unfortunately, the remainder of the Field Institute events have been canceled as we rework the guided hiking trips and workshops to implement necessary safety measures. Our hope is to be able to bring these workshops and more back next season in a way that protects participants and instructors.

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In the Land of Color: Exploring the Devil’s Playground

October 11, 2020 @ 8:00 am - 5:00 pm

  • « Ice Cream Rocks and Lumberyard Tour
  • Ice Cream Rocks and Lumberyard Tour »
Devil's Playground | NPS Photo

Instructor: Christa Sadler

Petrified Forest National Park is one of the most interesting landscapes in the world. Geologically, the deposits of petrified wood and the colored rocks tell an incredible story of this region more than 200 million years ago.

Ancient peoples have called this landscape home for hundreds of years and desert plants and animals have adapted beautifully to life in this arid region. Plus, Petrified Forest is also one of the most beautiful and fantastical landscapes anywhere!

Join us on a day-long adventure in the unique and little-visited Devil’s Playground area of the park, as we explore its geology, paleontology, history, flora and fauna—and whatever other surprises we discover!

We will meet at Painted Desert Visitor Center for a quick overview of the park’s unique environments and history. From here, we will carpool to the trailhead for the Devil’s Playground hike. High-clearance vehicles are recommended but not required, and four-wheel drive is not necessary.

Devil’s Playground is only accessible to a few people every year, and is an absolutely extraordinary landscape of bizarre eroded rock, hoodoos and badlands. This 7 to 8-mile round trip hike takes us through colorful rock layers and petrified wood that make this an exceptional area to explore the nature of Petrified Forest National Park.

Class Categories

Geology
Geology
Paleontology
Paleontology
History
History
Ecology
Ecology/Biology

Schedule

Meeting time: 8:00 AM
Class will be over by 5:00 PM

Cost:

  • $119 – Non-Member
  • $100 – Member *Learn more at PFMA site

Class Notes

  • Trail length: 7 to 8 miles, elevation change of 200 feet one way.
  • Difficulty: moderate; there are some steep and scrambly areas, and there is no actual trail. Participants need to be in decent physical shape, with the ability to do some scrambling.
  • Please wear sturdy shoes and sun and rain protection. Bring a lunch and at least two liters of water in a small daypack.
  • Other useful items: binoculars and camera, walking stick(s)
  • Class registration does not include park entrance fees. For more information, visit FAQs page.

Maximum number of participants: 10
Minimum age of participants: 15 (must be accompanied by parent or guardian)

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Details

Date:
October 11, 2020
Time:
8:00 am - 5:00 pm
Event Categories:
Discovery, Ecology/Biology, Geology, Hiking, History, Paleontology
Event Tags:
Christa Sadler

Venue

Painted Desert Visitor Center
1 Park Road
Petrified Forest National Park, AZ 86028 United States
Phone:
(928) 524-6228 ext. 239
  • « Ice Cream Rocks and Lumberyard Tour
  • Ice Cream Rocks and Lumberyard Tour »

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Petrified Forest Field Institute

Petrified Forest Field Institute (PFFI) is a program of the official nonprofit park partner, the Petrified Forest Museum Association (PFMA). PFFI is proud to offer guided hiking tours exploring a variety of fun and compelling subjects lead by world class guides and field experts.

Teachers

Petrified Forest Field Institute courses provide a fun, professional and experiential academic opportunity to gain professional development hours, or CEUs.

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Photos courtesy of Petrified Forest National Park unless stated otherwise.