This morning we returned to Petrified Forest National Park to hike the Historic Blue Forest Trail. This is an "Off the Beaten Track" Trail, no maintained trail. However, it was much easier to find the route than the other two "Off the Beaten Track" trails we have done. It also joins the Blue Mesa Trail. Overall 3.3 miles with 250 ft of gain/loss. We loved hiking in the Blue Badlands and being able to be both high up on the mesa and down below. We saw a few people while we were doing the 0.7 mile Blue Mesa Loop, but no other people along the Off the Beaten Track area.
The first 0.5 mile is along an old closed road bed and has gorgeous views from the start.
The old road surface and entering the Blue Badlands.After the first 1/2 mile, the trail started going up the hill and we would have fabulous views all around us and at every turn in the trail:
We would see petrified wood scattered throughout our route
Washes have carved deep channels through the sand and rock
Enjoying the views from high up in the badlands
There are some large chunks of petrified longs amidst these spectacular views.
and loving these views!
This last section goes along a catwalk tot he juniper trees before descending down to the Blue Mesa Loop. On our way back, we got caught in some strong wind gusts and needed to crawl along sections of the trail so we would not be blown off.
Here the trail descends down to the Blue Mesa Loop Trail
Some views along the Blue Mesa Loop Trail
After the Blue Mesa Loop, we headed back up to the Historic Blue Forest Trail (here looking back down towards the Blue Mesa Loop)some of the petrified wood seen along this trail today:
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