Painted Desert & Petrified Forest

Arizona is a land of great contrasts. Travel about three hours north and east of Cottonwood, after driving through canyons and forest, you will reach the Painted Desert, so named because of the vibrant colors of layered rock laid bare because few plants thrive in this dry, dusty environment.

Austere beauty of the Painted Desert, looking northward

Barren today, this environment was habitable, as evidenced by the petroglyphs overlooking this shallow valley

The famous "Mountain Lion" petroglyph now located in the Painted Desert Inn (a museum)

Formerly a true inn (offering lodging to weary travelers), the Painted Desert Inn serves as a museum with expansive views of the Painted Desert. They also serve ice cream! Finally, the Inn served as one of many examples of Pueblo Revival architecture which inspired our design of Origins B&B!

Karen posing at the entrance to the Painted Desert Inn

Located near the southern end of the Painted Desert is the Petrified Forest, so named because of the profusion of petrified wood (much of it readily evoking the look of the trees which grew here millions of years ago).

Large chunks of petrified wood strewn across the rolling landscape

Within the Petrified Forest is this landscape of rock, laid down in the Triassic period, 200-250 million years ago