If you can only do one trail in Petrified Forest National Park, it should be the Blue Mesa trail. Blue Mesa trail snakes through some of the park’s most breathtaking landscapes. This short loop trail offers a unique glimpse and hiking experience among the visually stunning badland hills. These hills consist of blue-ish, purple, white, and rusty stripes. Blue Mesa trail is our favorite established trail in Petrified Forest National Park.
Note: Please stay on trail, since this area has many sensitive finds such as fossilized plants and fish. Please make sure to respect this beautiful place and the surrounding areas. Always practice LEAVE NO TRACE. This means no loud music, no graffiti, no carving in sandstone walls and pack out what you pack in! Please help us protect this place for generations to come!
Stats
Where
Blue Mesa Trailhead
34°56’22.0″N 109°45’22.6″W
Parking
Small, paved lot
Restroom
There is no restroom
Fee
There is a fee to enter the Petrified Forest National Park. Please check the park’s website for updated infos. You can also use your America the Beautiful Pass here.
Important Things
Petrified Forest National Park opens year round, except November 25 and December 25. Park hours are 8am to 5pm. The gate actually closes at 5pm.
Distance
1 mile (1.6 km) loop
Elevation Gain
About 111 ft
Level
Easy
Time:
45 mins – 1.5 hour
Pet-friendly
You can bring your pet, but they have to be on leashed.
Ideal Time
Falls, Winters or Springs. Summer can be very warm. The hills’ colors are more vibrant early morning or later in the afternoon.
Weather
Video
Getting There
The trailhead for Blue Mesa trail is located about 18 miles from the North Entrance of Petrified Forest National Park and about 15 miles from the South Entrance. Once on the Petrified Forest Road, drive until you see the sign for Blue Mesa Scenic Road. This road will take you to the trailhead and several beautiful lookouts along the way. You should also be able to search for Blue Mesa Trailhead on Google Maps. Please note that reception in the park is not very good so be prepared.
The Adventure
The Start of Blue Mesa Trail
We pulled up to the parking lot of Blue Mesa during a cloudy day. It had snowed the night before so the badland landscape was still covered in a blanket of snow. The first time we visited Blue Mesa was in the middle of a dry afternoon. It was amazing to see how the landscape had transformed under the snow and different lighting conditions. Even from the top, we could tell that the colors were deeper and more vibrant on a cloudy day as opposed to a clear, bright sunny day. The bright sun seems to wash out the color and make everything a beige color.
From the parking lot, the Blue Mesa trail starts on a relatively flat paved path, then quickly drops down to a steep but short switchback section. Once you get down to the valley floor, the trail flattens out and turns into an easy-to-follow loop.
Descending to the Valley Floor
It is really hard to do justice to how beautiful the Blue Mesa trail is. As it descended into the valley, we were speechless by the beautiful purple-ish hills eroded from both sides of the trail. I felt like we were walking in between the giant ube cakes dusted with powdered sugar. The landscape changed at every corner that we turned.
Besides the colorful hills, the Blue Mesa trail also has petrified woods scattered around. Although the petrified woods are not in great concentration like on Crystal Forest or Long Logs and Agate House trail, there are still plenty to see. The petrified woods are the remnants of when much of Northern Arizona was a tropical floodplain, 225 million years ago.
How the Badland Hills Get Their Colors
It is interesting to learn how the badland hills get their colors. Most of the hills in badland are made of bentonite clay. The white stripes on the hills are pure bentonite clay, while the other colors are the result of mineral presence and the water levels at the time the sediment was deposited. The grey, green, and blue/purple colors resulted from high water levels depriving carbon and iron minerals of oxygen. On the other hand, the reddish hue formed when the water level fluctuated, letting iron minerals oxidize or rust. In addition, water seeping through mudstone helped intensify and widen the badlands’ color scheme.
Even though the Blue Mesa trail can get busy, when we went, it was quite empty. If you’re visiting this trail, make sure to go early in the morning or toward the evening. There’s usually less crowd and the colors will be more vibrant in a softer light. It was such a unique experience to wander among the giant colorful hills in absolute quietness. Once you’re done with the loop, hike back the way you came down from. Don’t forget to check out the viewpoints near the parking lot. They give you different perspectives of the trail you were on.
These are the gear that we personally use and find them helpful for this particular adventure. Don’t forget to check out our Recommended Gear section as well.
adventure gear
Good hiking shoes are recommended on these adventures. Vy uses the Merrell Women’s Moab 2 hiking boots
Dustin’s shoes are Targhee III Waterproof
Make sure to use lots of sunscreens! We use eco-friendly, reef-safe sunscreen, Stream2Sea SPF 30.
Face sunscreen is also important. We love these tinted, organic All Good Organic Sunscreen Butter.
You should always bring plenty of water. Vy loves the Camelback L.U.X.E.
For shorter hikes, the Patagonia Women’s Nine Trails Pack 18L is perfect to hold water and your essentials.
If you want something lighter, we love the packable Patagonia Women’s Houdini® Jacket and Patagonia Men’s Houdini® Jacket
other things to bring
- A hat, since the trail is very exposed
- Always good to bring some snacks with you. For healthy and easy snacks, check out some of our recipes.
camera gear
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