Now that we have retired, we drive a lot on our trips in the Southwest. As we live in Tucson and love to photograph along the Colorado Plateau, we are inevitably driving north. After a “half day’s drive” we spend the night in Winslow or Holbrook Arizona, or Gallup New Mexico. If in Holbrook, we usually go to the Petrified Forest for a few minutes to the Paint Desert or a half day to the Blue Mesa. Here’s what we saw last week.
The Blue Mesa trailhead is an hour from Holbrook through the north entrance from Highway 40. We made five fruitful stops.
First stop is the Painted Desert. The best overlook is Chinde Point. I would skip the rest of the look outs.
Second stop is at the old car along Route 66. We had some good clouds, but it was bright. Try monochrome.
Our third stop is Newspaper Rock. To really see the petroglyphs, you will need binoculars or a telephoto lens. There is a free telescope on the viewing platform. I used a 400mm lens to get these shots.
Fourth stop is the Tepees.
Last stop is a drive around Blue Mesa and a short one mile hike.
As you leave the Blue Mesa, there is a final look out that makes a great photo.
BONUS Suggestion. Go see the Little Paint Desert at sunset. It’s 40 min from Holbrook and 20 min from Winslow. It’s a small but impressive view and there will be no one there.
Here are a couple of other blog posts about the Petrified Forest. Hope they are useful.
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