Page 528 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - USA

526  THE SOUTHWEST

l Petrified Forest
National Park
Off I-40. Tel (928) 524-6228.
Open 7am–6pm daily (winter:
8am–5pm). Closed Dec 25. &
7 partial. ∑ nps.gov/pefo
This fossilized prehistoric
forest is one of Arizona’s most
unusual attractions. Millions
of years ago, rivers swept trees
downstream into a vast swamp
that once covered this whole
area. Ground water transported
silica dioxide into downed
timber, eventually turning it Eroded sandstone opening of Window Rock, near Highway 12
into the quartz stone logs seen x Hopi Cultural
today, with colored crystals z Window Rock
preserving the shape and * 2,700. @ n Hwy 264, (928) 871- Center
structure of the trees. 6436. * 10,000. n Hwy 264, Second
Running the entire length Mesa, (928) 734-2401. Open 9am–
of the forest is the famous Window Rock is the capital of 5pm daily (extended hours in
Painted Desert. This is an area the Navajo Nation, the largest summer). Closed Jan 1, Thanksgiving,
of colored bands of sand and Native American reservation in Dec 25. ∑ hopiculturalcenter.com
rock that change from blues the Southwest. The town is
to reds throughout the day as named for the natural arch Believed to be direct descendants
the shifting light catches the found in the sandstone cliffs of the Ancestral Puebloans,
different mineral deposits. located about a mile north of the Hopi have lived in and
A 28-mile (45-km) scenic road the main strip on Highway 12. cultivated this barren reservation
starting at the visitor center The Navajo Nation Museum area for almost a thousand
travels the length of the park. located in Window Rock is one years. They worship through the
There are nine overlooks along of the largest Native American kachina, the living spirits of
the way, including Kachina museums in the country. The plants and animals, believed to
Point, where the Painted huge hogan-shaped building visit the tribe during the growing
Wilderness trailhead is located. houses displays that cover the season. Most Hopi villages are
A permit is required to camp in history of the Ancestral located on or near one of three
the wilderness area. Near the Puebloans and the Navajo. mesas (flat-topped elevations),
south end of the road is the fine named First, Second, and Third
Rainbow Forest Museum. E Navajo Nation Museum Mesa. Artisans of each mesa
Hwy 264 & Post Office Loop Rd, (928) specialize in particular crafts.
E Rainbow Forest Museum 871-7941. Open 8am–5pm Mon, Visitors can take a guided
Off Hwy 180 (S entrance). Tel (928) 8am–6pm Tue–Fri, 9am–5pm Sat. walking tour of the impressive
524-6228. Open 7am–6pm daily Closed major holidays. pueblo, Walpi, on the First
(winter: 8am–5pm). & ∑ navajonationmuseum.org Mesa. Inhabited since the

Historic pueblo town of Walpi on First Mesa at the Hopi Cultural Center
For hotels and restaurants in this region see pp550–52 and pp553–5

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