Travel/POI: Petrified Forest National Park (石化森林國家公園), Arizona USA

After being stuck at home for more than a year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we decided to venture out and visit some national parks in May 2021. Although we still had to wear masks and remain cautious even after being fully vaccinated, we felt much more relaxed and no longer as though we were living in constant turmoil. Being able to travel again felt liberating. We spent the night at the Baymont Inn & Suites by Wyndham in Holbrook and visited Petrified Forest National Park the following day.

Petrified Forest National Park is located in northeastern Arizona. It is best known for its ancient trees that have fossilized over millions of years into rainbow-colored stone. The park also features fossils from the Late Triassic Period, as well as evidence of more than 13,000 years of human history, including the remains of villages, tools, and grinding stones. A 28-mile scenic road runs through the park, providing access to several short hiking trails that lead into a diverse landscape of open grasslands, colorful badlands, and Painted Desert vistas.

由於新冠疫情，我們被困在家中一年多，終於在 2021 年 5 月決定外出遊覽一些國家公園。儘管接種了疫苗後我們仍然需要戴口罩並保持警惕，但我們感覺輕鬆多了，不再像以前那樣生活在持續的焦慮之中。能夠再次旅行讓我們感到無比自由。我們在霍爾布魯克(Holbrook)的溫德姆貝蒙特套房飯店(Baymont Inn & Suites by Wyndham)住了一晚，第二天便前往石化森林國家公園。

石化森林國家公園位於亞利桑那州東北部，以其歷經數百萬年風化而型成的彩虹般色彩斑斕的化石而聞名。公園內也保存著三疊紀晚期的化石，以及超過 13,000年人類歷史的遺跡，包括村莊遺址、工具和磨石的遺跡。一條 28 英里長的風景公路貫穿公園，並連接多條短的健行步道，可進入開闊的草原、色彩繽紛的荒地和壯麗的彩繪沙漠景觀。

Photo Date: 2021.05.16

Park Maps (North+South) (Click to enlarge the map)

Click here for Interactive Park Map from National Park Service

Rainbow Forest Museum and Visitor Center 彩虹森林博物館和遊客中心

We entered the park through the south entrance and made our first stop at the Rainbow Forest Museum and Visitor Center. Rainbow Forest Museum was the park’s original headquarters and is now a historic landmark. Today it has paleontology displays, a bookstore, a visitor center, and easy trail access. The current building was constructed in 1931, along with a few staff homes and a tool shed, for just over $21,000. And despite popular belief, the Civilian Conservation Corps didn’t build it—they didn’t even exist yet!

我們從南門進入公園，第一站是彩虹森林博物館和遊客中心。彩虹森林博物館曾是公園的總部，如今已成為歷史地標。館內設有古生物學展、書店、遊客中心，並可輕易到步道。目前的建築建於 1931 年，同時建造的還有幾棟員工宿舍和一個工具棚，總造價略高於 21,000 美元。而且，與人們普遍認為的不同，它並非由民間資源保護隊（Civilian Conservation Corps）建造——當時該組織甚至還不存在！

Giant Logs Trail 巨型原木步道

The Giant Logs Trail is located behind the museum. It is a short 0.4-mile loop. Along the trail, we saw some of the largest petrified logs in the park, including “Old Faithful,” which measures nearly ten feet across at its base. The petrified wood, gleaming like precious gems in the sunlight, was stunningly beautiful.

巨木步道是在博物館的後方，這是一條 0.4 英里長的環形步道。沿途我們看到了公園裡一些最大的石化木，包括底部直徑近 10 英尺的「老忠實」。這些石化木在陽光下閃閃發光，宛如珍貴的寶石，美得令人驚嘆。

“Old Faithful” - next two pictures. This giant of Giant Logs measures 35 feet (10.6 m) long and weighs approximately 44 tons (39,900 kg). Previously called names like “The Monarch” and “Major Domo,” this impressive log has been a favorite visitor attraction for years. In the late 1920s, the park superintendent’s wife said the log was to Petrified Forest what the Old Faithful geyser is to Yellowstone National Park. From this the name “Old Faithful” stuck.
「老忠實」- 下面兩張照片。這根巨型原木長達 35 英尺（10.6 公尺），重約 44 噸（39,900 公斤）。它曾被稱為「君主」和「管家」，多年來一直是遊客最喜歡的景點之一。 1920 年代末，公園主管的妻子曾說，這根原木之於石化森林，正如老忠實噴泉之於黃石國家公園。從此「老忠實」這個名字便流傳了下來。

Stephen Tyng Mather (July 4, 1867 – January 22, 1930) was an American industrialist and conservationist who was the first director of the National Park Service which was established in 1916. He served until 1929, during which time Mather created a professional civil service organization, increased the numbers of parks and national monuments, and established systematic criteria for adding new properties to the federal system.
史蒂芬·馬瑟（Stephen Tyng Mather，1867 年 7 月 4 日 - 1930 年 1 月 22 日）是一位美國實業家和自然資源保護主義者，他是 1916 年成立的國家公園管理局的首任局長。他任職至 1929 年，在此期間，馬瑟創建了一個專業的公務員組織，增加了公園和國家紀念碑的數量，並為聯邦系統添加新財產制定了系統的標準。

Crystal Forest 水晶森林

A 0.75 Mile loop. Named for the presence of beautiful crystals that can be found in the petrified logs, this trail offers one of the best opportunities to experience the petrified wood deposits.

這是一條 0.75 英里的環形步道。步道因石化木中存在美麗的晶體而得名，是體驗石化木礦藏的最佳途徑之一。

Jasper Forest 碧玉森林

A panoramic view of an area with a high concentration of petrified wood. Nearby is the 2.4-mile (3.9-km) round-trip Jasper Forest Trail (“First Forest Trail”), an unmaintained, off-the-beaten-path hike. We did not hike on the trail.

這裡可以俯瞰一片富含石化木聚集的區域。附近有碧玉森林步道（又稱「第一森林步道」），這是一條往返 2.4 英里（3.9 公里）的步道，未經維護，人跡罕至。我們沒有走這條步道。

Agate Bridge 瑪瑙橋

Agate Bridge, originally called Natural Bridge, is a partially exposed petrified log spanning a gully at Agate Mesa, forming a “bridge”. The log is about 100’ in length and 4’ in diameter at its base. It spans 40’ across the chasm and is 16’ above the canyon floor.

瑪瑙橋，原名天然橋，是一根部分裸露的石化原木，橫跨瑪瑙台地的一條溝壑，形成一座「橋樑」。這根原木長約100 英尺，底部直徑約 4 英尺。它橫跨峽谷 40 英尺，距離峽谷底部 16 英尺。

Blue Mesa 藍坪台地

Blue Mesa is a significant landform located on a spur road halfway through the park. The road (about 5 miles round trip) leads to the top of the mesa and offers scenic overlooks of the landscape, badlands, trail, and hoodoos. Descending from the mesa, this alternating paved-and-gravel trail loop provides a unique experience of hiking among badland hills of bluish bentonite clay as well as petrified wood.

藍坪台地是一處重要的地貌，位於公園中部一條支路上。這條步道（往返約 5 英里）通往台地頂部，沿途可欣賞到壯麗的景色，包括荒地、步道和石柱群。從台地向下，這條交替鋪設路面和碎石的環形步道，為徒步者提供了獨特的體驗，讓他們可以在由藍色膨潤土和石化木構成的荒地山丘間漫步。

On the way to Painted Desert Rim Trail 前往彩繪沙漠外緣步道的路上

Newspaper Rock 報紙岩

Newspaper Rock, an archeological site, is neither a newspaper nor a single rock. The site boasts over 650 petroglyphs covering a group of rockfaces within a small area. The petroglyphs were created by ancestral Puebloan people living, farming, and hunting along the Puerco River between 650 and 2,000 years ago. Some of the ancient artists may have lived at Puerco Pueblo, located less than one mile north of this site.

報紙岩是一座考古遺址，它既不是報紙，也不是單獨的石頭。這裏有超過 650 幅岩畫，覆蓋了小範圍內的一組岩壁。這些岩畫是由生活在 650 至 2000 年前，沿著普爾科河（Puerco River）耕作和狩獵的古代普韋布洛人 (Puebloan) 創作的。一些古代藝術家可能居住在普爾科普韋布洛（Puerco Pueblo），該遺址位於此地以北不到一英里處。

Historic Route 66 歷史道路

Traces of an old roadbed and weathered telephone poles mark the path of the famous "Main Street of America." Established in 1926, it was one of the original highways in the US Highway System. Petrified Forest National Park is the only park in the National Park System containing a section of Historic Route 66. From Chicago to Los Angeles, this heavily traveled highway was not only a road--it stood as a symbol of opportunity, adventure and exploration to travelers.

古老的路基和風化的電線桿勾勒出這條著名的「美國大街」的遺跡。它始建於 1926 年，是美國公路系統中最早的公路之一。石化森林國家公園是美國國家公園系統中唯一有一段歷史悠久的 66 號公路的公園。這條從芝加哥到洛杉磯的繁忙公路，不僅是一條道路，更是旅行者心中機會、冒險和探索的象徵。

Views between Lacey Point and Chinde Point 萊西角和欽德角之間的景色

I guessed that we were at Nizhoni Point.

我猜我們當時應該在尼佐尼角。

Painted Desert Inn 彩繪沙漠旅館

Built of petrified wood and other native stone, the Painted Desert Inn was the vision of Herbert David Lore. Lore registered the inn with the land office in 1924, and for almost twelve years he operated the “Stone Tree House” as a tourist attraction. Visitors could eat meals in the lunchroom, purchase American Indian arts and crafts, and enjoy a cool drink in the downstairs taproom.

Petrified Forest National Monument purchased the Painted Desert Inn and approximately four square miles of land in 1936. During the late 1930s, architect Lyle Bennett of the National Park Service redesigned the building in the Pueblo Revival Style with assistance from Civilian Conservation Corps crews. The inn reopened for business on July 4, 1940.

The Painted Desert Inn served Route 66 travelers with meals, souvenirs, and lodging, and it was popular with local residents as a place for meetings and special events. The good times ended with the beginning of the United States’ involvement in World War II. The inn closed in October 1942 and reopened five years later under new management. Major interior redesign work by architect Mary Colter and murals by Hopi artist Fred Kabotie occurred in 1947–48.

Due to severe structural problems and changing park plans, the inn ultimately closed in the early 1960s. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1976 and reopened on a limited basis as the Bicentennial Travel Center that same year. Because of its excellent Pueblo Revival design by Bennett, New Deal–era craftsmanship by the CCC, interior touches by Mary Colter, and Fred Kabotie’s murals, the Painted Desert Inn was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1987.

This National Historic Landmark now functions as a museum featuring exhibits on its history and architecture. When we visited, the inn was closed, so I can only show you the exterior.

彩繪沙漠旅館由石化木和其他當地石材建造而成，是赫伯特·洛爾(Herbert David Lore)的構想。洛爾於 1924 年在土地管理局註冊了這家旅館，並在近十二年的時間裡，將這座「石樹屋」作為旅遊景點經營。遊客可以在餐廳用餐，購買美洲原住民的藝術品和手工藝品，並在樓下的酒吧享用清涼飲品。

1936 年，石化森林國家紀念碑收購了彩繪沙漠旅館及其約四平方英里的土地。在 1930 年代末，國家公園管理局的建築師萊爾·貝內特(Lyle Bennett)在民間資源保護隊的協助下，以普韋布洛復興風格重新設計了這座建築。旅館於 1940 年 7 月 4 日重新開業。

彩繪沙漠旅館為 66 號公路的旅客提供餐飲、紀念品和住宿，也深受當地居民的喜愛，是舉辦會議和特殊活動的場所。然而，隨著美國捲入第二次世界大戰，旅館的輝煌時期也隨之結束。旅館於 1942 年 10 月關閉，五年後在新管理團隊的經營下重新開業。 1947 年至 1948 年間，建築師瑪麗·科爾特(Mary Colter)對旅館內部進行了大規模的重新設計，霍皮族藝術家弗雷德·卡博蒂(Fred Kabotie)則繪製了壁畫。

由於嚴重的結構問題和公園規劃的變更，這家旅館最終在 1960 年代初關閉。該建築於 1976 年被列入國家史蹟名錄，同年以二百週年紀念旅行中心的名義有限地重新開放。由於其由貝內特設計的精美普韋布洛復興式建築風格、新政時期民間資源保護隊（CCC）的精湛工藝、瑪麗·科爾特的室內裝飾以及弗雷德·卡博蒂的壁畫，彩繪沙漠旅館於 1987 年被指定為國家歷史地標。

這座國家歷史地標現已改建為博物館，展出其歷史和建築特色。我們去的時候旅館關門了，所以我只能給你們看外觀。

Tawa Trail 塔瓦步道

In Hopi ideology, Tawa refers to the Sun Spirit, the Creator of the World. The Hopi are one of several contemporary Native American groups connected to the rich and varied history of Petrified Forest. The 1.2-mile, one-way paved Tawa Trail leads to scenic Tawa Point, where you can view the shortgrass prairie (particularly beautiful during wildflower season) and the red portion of the Painted Desert.

在霍皮族的信仰中，「塔瓦」（Tawa）指的是太陽神，世界的創造者。霍皮族是與石化森林豐富多彩的歷史息息相關的幾個當代美洲原住民群體之一。單趟鋪設好的塔瓦步道長 1.2 英里（約 1.9 公里），通往風景秀麗的塔瓦角，在那裡您可以欣賞到短草草原（野花盛開時尤為美麗）和彩繪沙漠的紅色區域。