Petrified Forest National Park
Just For Kids
Be A Junior Ranger
Petrified Forest National Park welcomes kids to learn more about the ancient environment of the Late Triassic - when the petrified trees were alive and dinosaurs roamed the land.
Junior Rangers "Explore, Learn, and Protect" their national parks. Become a Junior Ranger and you can learn about fossils, human history, wilderness and more! You'll even receive a gold badge so that you will not forget how important you are to the National Park Service.
Would you like to become a Junior Ranger? Once you arrive in the park stop by the Painted Desert Visitor Center, Painted Desert Inn, or Rainbow Forest Museum to ask for a Junior Ranger Activity Booklet.
The park is always happy to add another name to their Junior Ranger team. They invite YOU to become a member of this very special group of people. When you take the time to learn about the park and its valuable resources, you will be able to share your knowledge with friends and family to help them understand why Petrified Forest National Park is a special place.
FOR TEACHERS
Wouldn't it be great if you could incorporate lessons from the classroom into a real world, hands-on experience? You can! Petrified Forest National Park has a curriculum-based program aligned with the Arizona Science (5-24-04) and Mathematics Standards for Grades 4-8: Rockin' Through the Ages: From Fossils to Petroglyphs.
Guided In-Park Ranger Programs
In addition to the curriculum-based program, the park offers ranger programs for more informal field trips. Here are some examples, although they can always try to cater to your specific education needs.
- Talk inside Rainbow Forest Museum followed by a walk on the Giant Logs Trail, learning about petrified wood and other fossils, the Triassic Period, and erosion.
- Hike on the Blue Mesa Trail getting up close and personal with the badlands landscape and petrified wood.
- Tour of Painted Desert Inn National Historic Landmark seeing the craftsmanship of the Civilian Conservation Corps and murals painted by Hopi artist Fred Kabotie.
- Walk at Puerco Pueblo and its associated petroglyphs learning about the ancestral Puebloan people and their lifestyle.
Classroom Visits
If you are not able to make it to Petrified Forest National Park and live within about 100 miles of the park, they may be able to arrange for a park ranger to visit your classroom. Here are some examples of possible classroom programs, although they can always try to cater to your specific education needs.
- Conducting lessons taken from the Rockin' education manual.
- Discussion of petrified wood and fossil formation, including the Triassic Period.
- Storytelling using a park-specific story, The Tourist, the Park Ranger, and the Petrified Forest.
Petrified Forest In Depth
News from the Parks
Colorado Section of Vast Bike Network is 1,000 Miles
January 5, 2009 - 12:43pm
More than 1,000 miles of the 50,000-mile bikeway being spliced together throughout North American lies in Colorado. The Colorado portion is part of the Great Parks section, which includes 2,518 miles from Jasper National Park in Alberta, Canada, to Mesa Verde National Park outside of Durango.
January 5, 2009 - 12:43pm
More than 1,000 miles of the 50,000-mile bikeway being spliced together throughout North American lies in Colorado. The Colorado portion is part of the Great Parks section, which includes 2,518 miles from Jasper National Park in Alberta, Canada, to Mesa Verde National Park outside of Durango.
Ranchers Oppose Yellowstone Bison Relocation
January 5, 2009 - 12:32pm
Ranchers are voicing concern about plans to relocate some Yellowstone Park bison to Indian reservations in Montana and Wyoming. The ranchers are worried about the animals' history of carrying brucellosis, a disease that causes domestic cows to miscarry.
January 5, 2009 - 12:32pm
Ranchers are voicing concern about plans to relocate some Yellowstone Park bison to Indian reservations in Montana and Wyoming. The ranchers are worried about the animals' history of carrying brucellosis, a disease that causes domestic cows to miscarry.
A Trip to Yosemite National Park via YARTS is a Must for Valley Residents
January 5, 2009 - 12:31pm
The YARTS bus sped up Highway 140 from Merced into the foothills. It passed Mariposa and stopped at the entrance to Yosemite National Park. A sign read, “Chains required.” The driver parked, and deftly fitted the chains over the tires. A horde of enthused travelers lined up outside the bus, but there were no more seats. Instead of turning them away, the kindly driver allowed them to board the bus and stand in the aisle for the remaining 13 miles of the trip.
January 5, 2009 - 12:31pm
The YARTS bus sped up Highway 140 from Merced into the foothills. It passed Mariposa and stopped at the entrance to Yosemite National Park. A sign read, “Chains required.” The driver parked, and deftly fitted the chains over the tires. A horde of enthused travelers lined up outside the bus, but there were no more seats. Instead of turning them away, the kindly driver allowed them to board the bus and stand in the aisle for the remaining 13 miles of the trip.
Nene Killed on the Road in Haleakala National Park
January 5, 2009 - 12:21pm
An adult nene was killed on the road at Haleakala National Park on Dec. 28. Motorists traveling to the park are asked to drive slowly and cautiously. Visitors reported the dead nene to Visitor Use Assistant Tony Manion at 7:30 a.m. Park Ranger Chad Riggin retrieved the dead nene from the road near mile marker 16.
January 5, 2009 - 12:21pm
An adult nene was killed on the road at Haleakala National Park on Dec. 28. Motorists traveling to the park are asked to drive slowly and cautiously. Visitors reported the dead nene to Visitor Use Assistant Tony Manion at 7:30 a.m. Park Ranger Chad Riggin retrieved the dead nene from the road near mile marker 16.
Life's a Beach: U.S. Virgin Islands are Calling You
January 5, 2009 - 12:19pm
Don't just sit there. Pick a destination and plan a vacation, maybe to someplace a little exotic, where national parks come with tropical beaches, and boats rather than big RVs are a common mode of transportation. You can enjoy all that without fretting over currency exchange rates or making sure that your passport is up to date if you head to a little paradise called the U.S. Virgin Islands.
January 5, 2009 - 12:19pm
Don't just sit there. Pick a destination and plan a vacation, maybe to someplace a little exotic, where national parks come with tropical beaches, and boats rather than big RVs are a common mode of transportation. You can enjoy all that without fretting over currency exchange rates or making sure that your passport is up to date if you head to a little paradise called the U.S. Virgin Islands.
