Giant Logs Loop, Rainbow Forest Museum Parking Lot, Petrified Forest National Park - Painted Desert, Arizona
Giant Logs Loop - 0.25 miles
Rainbow Forest Museum Parking Lot
| Round-Trip Length: | 0.25 miles (.6 miles total roundtrip distance; 82' total roundtrip elevation gain for the combined inner and outer loops) |
| Start-End Elevation: | 5,475' - 5,475' (5,503' max elevation) |
| Elevation Change: | +41' total roundtrip elevation gain |
| Skill Level: | Easy |
| Dogs Allowed: | Yes |
| Bikes Allowed: | No |
| Horses Allowed: | No |
| Related Trails: |
Giant Logs Loop - 0.25 Miles Round-Trip
The Giant Logs Loop begins at the Rainbow Forest Museum and winds through 10 points of interest in the Rainbow Forest section of the Park.
Most notable is Old Faithful, a petrified tree stump thought to have the largest diameter of any found in the park at nearly 10' across.
The Rainbow Forest Museum maintains the Park's most comprehensive paleontological exhibit, an extensive petrified wood collection and a wealth of natural history information.
Interactive GPS Topo Map
Key GPS Coordinates - DATUM WGS84
- N34 48.901 W109 51.950 — 0.0 Miles: Rainbow Forest Parking Area
Worth Noting
- Petrified wood is mostly quartz. The physical characteristics of cylindrical quartz cause it to break cleanly when stressed, resulting in the lengthy symmetrical segments we see on this trail.
- Petrified wood in the Petrified Forest National Park is almost solid quartz, weighing on average between 150-180 pounds per cubic foot. It's so hard, you can only cut it with a diamond tipped saw.
- Iron Oxides give the wood its distinctive red, yellow and orange hues.
- Carbonized organic compounds and residues yield black, tan and brown tones.
- Shortgrass prairies and pockets of high desert ecosystems cover a majority of the Park. The Park's ecological environment is technically classified as an Intermountain Basin, Semi-Desert Shrub Steppe and Grassland.
Rules and Regulations
- Collection of plants, rocks, petrified wood, fossils, archeological objects or other materials is illegal anywhere in the park. Rules are strictly enforced and violators are subject to significant penalties.
- Pets are permitted on maintained trails, but must be kept on a leash at all times. Pets are not allowed within Wilderness Areas, nor on the Wilderness Access Trail near The Painted Desert Inn. Pets are not allowed in buildings unless they are service animals.
Directions to Trailhead
From the Park's north entrance station, follow Park Road 26 miles to the Rainbow Forest Museum Parking Lot (west side of road).
Form the Park's south entrance, follow Park Road 2 miles to the Rainbow Forest Museum Parking Lot. Walk through the museum to its rear-entrance. The trail begins just outside these doors. The interpretive brochures are located in the rear of the museum.
You may walk around the Museum's north side to access the trail during non-operational hours.
Contact Information
Petrified Forest National Park
1 Park Road
P.O. Box 2217
Petrified Forest, AZ 86028
928.524.6228 (phone)
928 524.3567 (fax)
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