Route 66 is usually associated with unique motels, odd roadside attractions, old fashioned gas stations, and one of a kind eateries, but East of Holbrook, Arizona you’ll find a completely different view. Exit 311 (when traveling west) off Interstate 40 leads travelers directly into the north end of the Petrified Forest National Park.
Currently, Route 66 aligns with I-40 along this stretch. The interstate bypassed the original Mother Road in 1958. Before the realignment, though, the Petrified Forest was the only National Park to contain a section of the Dust Bowl Highway.
Travel about two miles from the park’s entrance and you’ll find what used to be the Painted Desert Inn. Now a historical site and museum, this stop allows you to experience what a stay at this remote location would have felt like back in the 1940’s. Experience grand views of the park from a balcony, or enter the Painted Desert on one of the trailheads found here.
The Inn opened in 1924 as the Stone Tree House. It was constructed using natural elements such as petrified wood and sandstone. Owner Herbert David Lore ran the Inn for 12 years providing provisions and accommodations for travelers passing through this rugged and desolate stretch of road.
In 1936 the property was purchased by the National Park Service. Over the next four years the Stone Tree House was transformed into the Painted Desert Inn. The remodeling was done in the Pueblo Revival style giving it a classic Southwestern look. The inn provided overnight lodging to travelers through 1947. During the late 1940s and ’50s, the inn continued to sell food and souvenirs, and was considered the must see destination of the park. Sadly, it fell into disrepair over time and closed its doors in 1962 because of structural issues.
Fast forward to 2006 and the inn was once again restored and opened to the public as a museum. Classic exterior adobe, interior detailing featuring indigenous design, and handprinted murals serve as a welcome for what is to come throughout these badlands.
After exploring in the inn, continue along the main road for another couple of miles to find a tribute to an original stretch of the Mother Road. A concrete bench with a debossed Route 66 route marker stands in the expansive wilderness encouraging visitors to remember a now lost section of highway. On the back side of the bench, a vintage car bumper has been embedded into the stone.
The site also has an old 1932 Studebaker evocative of a time when automobiles raced through a landscape now barren.
The most interesting aspect of this site may be the telephone poles that extend into the distance, dotting the landscape where the original route once ran. Stone route markers can even be found on the ground, outlining where the highway once was. The pavement from this portion of 66 was properly removed in 1960 and the land has returned to nature. If not for these artifacts, no sign of the former thoroughfare would exist.
While the Route 66 landmarks in this area are incredible keys to a recent past, it’s the nature itself in this part of the country that opens a gateway to an ancient timeline.
The Petrified Forest was established by Theodore Roosevelt as a national monument in 1906. In 1962 it was designated as a national park. The nature reserve can be broken into two sections. To the north (where historic Route 66 once crossed) visitors can experience the painted desert – a beautiful section of badlands ranging in color from deep red to blue to grey. Iron results in red hues while manganese streaks blue to purple. The palette is further altered by the volcanic ash present in the soil.
The southern section of the park contains the petrified forest. This stone forest was formed when the area shifted from lush woodland to desert. Trees were buried and mineralized by volcanic ash forming crystalized fossils over the course of more than 200 million years.
Over millions of years this region was formed into the landscape we know today. Soft rock like mudstone and bentonite clay has been transformed by wind and rain. The clay’s expanding (wet) or cracked (dry) nature causes the landscape to be essentially devoid of vegetation. Because plants aren’t holding soil together, the land has been easily eroded by the elements. The Colorado Plateau has elevated over time, further exposing the terrain to weather conditions and exposing its beautifully colored bands.
The Petrified Forest National Park is an American treasure. Its unique geology is similar to Route 66 in that it continues to change over time while maintaining a connection to the past. Whether it’s a broken down gas station from the 1950’s or a faded petroglyph from 13,000 years ago, these remnants inform cultural identity. Change is inevitable, but an understanding of where we came from establishes roots that cannot be cut by changing winds.
