The drive from White Sands National Park to Zion National Park, had us taking overnight stops at Gila Cliff Dwellings and Petrified Forest National Park. Each drive segment averaged 6 hours, which made for long couple of days of driving. To keep the trip fun for the boys, we made sure there was plenty of stops, like the Catwalk Recreation Area. Let’s dive in!
Note: Zion National Park will be the subject of our next post, so stay tuned!
The Drive From White Sands to Zion
Gila Cliff Dwellings
The Gila Cliff Dwellings were constructed by the Mogollon people in the 1270s. This fascinating settlement, which housed about 600 people, was divided among five different caves. The Mogollon were connected by a trade network to neighboring tribes, which enriched their culture and resources.
Their settlement had year-round water from a nearby spring, ample game, and was protected by a canyon. This natural fortification enabled them to farm and store grains for times of need. Access to the cliff dwellings was only possible by ladder, providing an extra layer of security from warring tribes.
Camping at Gila Cliff Dwellings
We found a little slice of heaven in the wilderness at a nearby campground called Woody’s Corral. Best of all, it is free to stay, first come, first served. It was just us and two other campers, with plenty of space on a Saturday night.
Madison quickly made friends with our neighbors, who had two similarly aged, good-natured kids. The couple had been on the road for the past seven years, so the kids had known nothing but being on the road. They played hard in the mud. Madison is stoked.
Catwalk Recreation Area
On our way to Petrified Forest National Park, we stopped at Catwalk Recreation Area.
A recommendation from our camp neighbors, we hit its signature creekside trail that weaves back two miles into a box canyon characterized by its narrow bridges bolted into the canyon walls.
Formed by an ancient volcano, we made it fairly deep into the canyon before turning around due to a threatening thunderstorm rolling in.
Petrified Forest National Park
Petfrified Forest National Park is an 27 mile road that bridges two highways. It was a conveninent stop as we we could simply drive right through it to where we were going!
Camping at Petrified Forest National Park
Petrified Forest National Park, does not permit overnight stays so we snagged a free camp spot just outside the entrance gate at Crystal Forest Gift Shop and Museum. No hookups, but the desert air was cool and perfect for a quick overnight.
We stopped in the gift shop to buy some petrified wood to thank them for the free night stay.
Painted Desert Trail
Scattered along the surface of the trail is evidence of a 200-million-year-old forest in the form of fossilized trees.
Blue Mesa Trail
The layers of the desert are on full display in the desert sand. Each period of geologic significance is marked by a different layer and color in the sand.
Dating back to the Triassic period, the Petrified Forest formed when the continents were Pangea. Trees fell into a soft mud and were then covered by ash. Cut off from oxygen, the trees were unable to decompose. Slowly, over millions of years, mineral deposits replaced the cells of the tree.
Crystal Forest
The trees now exhibit a rainbow of colors: blue, red, green, white, yellow. Each color represents a different mineral. For example the Crystal Forest section of the park, has trees with significant deposits of quartz, so they are characterized by large white sections.
Driving from Petrified Forest National Park to Zion was a big, 6 hour push. As our second 6 hour segment in a row, it pushed our limits of what was possible on a road trip.
After hammering out two long days on the road, we are ready for respite in Zion!
