20 Attractions to Explore Near Crystal Forest

Jasper Forest was originally called First Forest as it was the first large accumulation of petrified wood reached from Adamana. The petrified log segments continue to erode from the 216-million-year-old Jasper Forest bed, which caps the exposures in the area, including Blue Mesa, Agate Bridge, and Crystal Forest. The forest was originally accessible by vehicle and the old road constructed by the CCC in the early 1930s still exists.

Blue Mesa is a significant landform located on a spur road halfway through Petrified Forest National Park. The trailhead for Blue Mesa Trail is located halfway around the loop road at a sunshelter. The mesa consists of the Blue Mesa and Sonsela Members with petrified wood deposits. Spectacular views of blue, purple, gray, and peach banded badlands.

Long Logs Trail in Petrified Forest National Park has a few cool things to see. The first is a bunch of long petrified logs. It is one of the greatest concentrations of in-tact petrified logs in the Park. Trees over 100' long were stripped of their branches by ancient rivers and eventually came together within this vicinity.

Agate House is a partially reconstructed Puebloan building in Petrified Forest National Park, built almost entirely of petrified wood. The eight-room pueblo has been dated to approximately the year 900 and occupied through 1200, of the Pueblo II and Pueblo III periods. The agatized wood was laid in a clay mortar, in lieu of the more usual sandstone-and-mortar masonry of the area.

Puerco Ruin and Petroglyphs are the ruins of a large Indian pueblo, which reached its peak around 1300 CE, containing over 100 rooms. It is the largest known archeological site within the Petrified Forest National Park.The site contains over 800 petroglyphs, incised on more than 100 boulders.

A majestic national park, which takes its name from the remnants of ancient trees which have been transformed into brilliantly colored minerals through a series of geological processes. It was set aside as a national monument in 1906 to preserve and protect the petrified wood for its scientific value. The monument became a national park in 1962. The park features one of the world's largest and most colorful concentrations of petrified wood.

The Painted Desert is a United States desert of badlands in the Four Corners area, running from near the east end of Grand Canyon National Park and southeast into Petrified Forest National Park. It is most easily accessed from the north portion of Petrified Forest National Park. The Painted Desert is known for its brilliant and varied colors: these include the more common red rock, but also shades of lavender.

Petrified Forest National Park near the southern margin of the Colorado Plateau in the Painted Desert area of east-central Arizona is an area of spectacular scenery formed primarily from the Chinle Formation about some 225 – 208 Ma during the late Triassic. The area within the park proper is 146 square miles , but, since 2005, additional land parcels have been acquired and placed under park administration, so that the entire protected area now totals 346 square miles.

The Painted Desert is a United States desert of badlands in the Four Corners area, running from near the east end of Grand Canyon National Park and southeast into Petrified Forest National Park. It has a beautiful array of colors from deep purple to verdant green, from dark rusty red to pale pink. The Painted Desert seems to go on for miles and miles into the flat Arizona landscape. You can walk along the edge of the Painted Desert for half a mile between viewpoints by using this trail.

Painted Desert Inn is a lodge in the Petrified Forest National Park , Arizona .It was built in the period 1937-1940 to a design by architect Lyle E. Bennett et al. In 1963 it was closed and there were plans to demolish it. In 1976 the lodge was reopened on a limited basis.The rustic building has been a National Historic Landmark since 1987. It has housed a museum and bookstore since 2006.

Kachina Point overlooks the red part of the Painted Desert, located about 2 miles from the north entrance of Petrified Forest National Park. The overlook is reached by an easy accessible trail behind the Painted Desert Inn National Historic Landmark. This is also the trailhead of the Kachina Point Trail which provides access to the northern wilderness area unit.

Concho Lake is an irrigation reservoir situated in the town of Concho, in the eastern Arizona grasslands at 6,300 feet. It is a small, shallow, weedy lake. It has 60 acres with a maximum depth of 16 feet and an average depth of 6 feet. A small watershed and nearby spring feed the lake. Following current management plans, the Arizona Game and Fish stocks catchable-sized rainbow trout during spring months.

The Snowflake Arizona Temple is the 108th dedicated temple in operation of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Unlike many other recently constructed temples, the temple does not share property with a stake center or Church meetinghouse but is adjacent to a golf course. This Temple serves 35,000 members, many of them descendants of the first pioneers to the area.

Rock Art Ranch is a well-kept secret in the Arizona desert.The ranch contains some of the Southwest’s most spectacular rock art with more than 3000 glyphs, which have been completely documented, dating from 5000 BCE to 1400 CE. The ranch lies in the high desert at 5100’ elevation.

Querino Canyon Bridge is located approximately four miles southwest of Houck, Arizona, on Old Route 66, over Querino Canyon. The length of the bridge's three spans is 77 feet, with a total length of 269 feet when the approaches are included. The bridge is 20 feet wide. The substructure consists of concrete abutments and pedestals, along with steel piers. Sitting on the steel piers are three Pratt deck trusses, supporting a concrete deck.

This is a lake that was created using recycled wastewater by the city of Show Low. It is an excellent observation and study area for anyone interested in waterfowl and waterfowl habitat.

Lyman Lake is one of the few bodies of water in northeastern Arizona with no size restrictions on boats. Created as an irrigation reservoir by damming the Little Colorado River, Lyman Lake State Park is a 1,200-acre park that encompasses the shoreline of a 1,500-acre reservoir at an elevation of 6,000 feet. The State Parks and Recreation Department maintains year-round visitor amenities. A wide variety of watercraft are also authorized in the park such as canoes, kayaks, and jet skis.

The Lyman Reservoir is the largest lake in the region. Lyman Lake State Park, is located in and administered by the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest, attracts anglers, as well as campers and water skiers year-round.The State Parks and Recreation Department maintains year-round visitor amenities. Due to the vast size of Lyman Lake, there are no restrictions on boat sizes. A wide variety of watercraft are also authorized in the park such as canoes, kayaks, and jet skis.

This is a public lake located in Navajo County, Arizona, near the city of Show Low. The lake is operated by the Arizona State Parks Department, and consists of 150 acres, with an average depth of 23 feet together with a variety of fish species. Many campsites have a view of the 150 acre lake and wildlife islands.