Figure 1. Blue Mesa, Petrified Forest National Park.
It's been a while since my last time in Petrified Forest National Park. In additional petrified wood which the park is names for, there are lots of others to see. Blue Mesa in the middle of the park is one.
In Blue Mesa area, visitors enjoy the landscape of badlands. The blue or purple color here is quite special from badlands in other places. The color here is caused by manganese while it is iron in most other places. The purple color also gives a surreal feeling.
Although visitors can see the terrain from the scenic overlook, there is an easy paved trail to provide the bottom-up perspective. You get a closer look at the petrified wood as well. This is one of the best 1 mile round trip hikes I have done and I highly recommend it.
