Photos don't do this trail justice since they are either way too oversaturated or washed out in my opinion. You have to experience the real thing to make your own judgement. This is a 1 mile loop trail that descends among the badland hills through the blue clay. I've never seen clay as blue before. There's also petrified wood here embedded in the soil. It felt cool to be able to descend through the layers of time and see all the stripes. At the bottom, the hills are hulking and imposing. It really makes you feel minuscule, while at the top you get a nice view of the undulating badlands. The trail is steep in sections. There's also very little shade on the trail (the trailhead does have a sun shelter with benches), so have sun protection and bring water. read more

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Well worth the very easy, leisure .8 mile walk. Beautiful views of petrified wood. Just a beautiful journey back into time.

This was my favorite trail when I visited Petrified Forest National Park. The Blue Mesa Trail is a beautiful scenic trail that is located in the center of the park. To get there, you take Blue Mesa Scenic Road eastbound from the main road. The road goes over the top of a mesa and turns into a loop. Along the way are scenic overlooks of the landscape, badlands and hoodoos. The trailhead is halfway around the loop and has a small parking lot. Blue Mesa Traill is a one mile loop trail that goes through hills of bluish bentonite clay. The trail itself is on a mixed paved and gravel path. You will occasionally see some petrified wood deposits scattered along the way. I found the hike pretty easy to do but very windy. The colors of the surrounding area is just beautiful. There are lots of blue, purple and gray stripes on the hills. Each layer represents the many years that have gone by. Blue Mesa Trail is a great spot for photographs because the blue sky in the background really brings out the colors in the hills. This is one of Petrified Forest's most popular hikes. So expect to see a decent amount of people on the trail. read more

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Here along this convenient Blue Mesa Trail within Petrified Forest National Park...you really have an opportunity to get up close and personal and admire such colorful surroundings on this short 1-mile roundtrip hike. Blue Mesa Trail is also one of the only "true blue", accessible hikes in the park. Granted there are plenty of beautiful overlooks to appreciate the badlands that compose Petrified Forest...but this area I found to be special because along the easy 1-mile path, you can take your casual time to maybe go off the trail and climb the rocks. It's sort of a playful place and for any photographer, I believe it's a canvas at your disposal to snap amazing pictures!!! When I came here to Petrified Forest back in August 2021, it wasn't even crowded. And for my 2nd all time visit, the park setting was so pleasant, and this Blue Mesa Trail was so quiet there were virtually no other tourists along this terrific hidden gem! That's puzzling because the purple/lavender/tan rock tones were hypnotic in my opinion. And I couldn't get over how just walking the pathway had me transported to an alternate universe, like a fictional planet from Star Wars! So yes, when you first enter the park, you do have the various roadside pullovers in the Painted Desert section where you can exit your car and peer out onto the picturesque landscapes, but this Blue Mesa Trail offers you specific moments to get a real feel for what makes Petrified Forest truly famous. Definitely DO NOT MISS this Blue Mesa Trail! For me it was one of the best highlights at the park and I have fond memories thinking back at how this casual 1-mile walk allowed me to feel so humbled in my travels. It just reinforced my belief to never take anything for granted. read more

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One of big highlights of the Petrified Forest National Park is this one mile Blue Mesa loop trail. From the moment you descent into Blue Mesa you'll believe you're walking around some strange lunar landscape. Walking along the paved trail you'll get up close views of the chinle rock formations that make this national park world famous..You'll also see many examples of petrified logs laying around this area. Even though it's only a mile in length, you'll still get sensory overload. Highly recommended. - This trail is family-friendly but perhaps people with mobility issues might have a tough time walking down into the canyon and back out. - Stay on the walking path and do not pick up any of the petrified wood pieces. - It can get windy and cold along this trail during the winter. Tip - If you have a fourth grader, the whole family can get into this park, and all national parks for free. You have to fill out an online form first at https://everykidinapark.gov/ read more

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Blue Mesa Trail is a 1.2 mile loop trail in the Petrified Forest National Park. It is a semi-arid environment with no shade. The elevation is 5,500 feet with a 120 foot decline into the Blue Mesa Basin. This is an other-worldly landscape from some distant exoplanet. Bands of bluish Bentonite clay (volcanic ash composed of aluminum and silicon) are layered with shades of pink, brown, red and orange from minerals like manganese, carbon, iron potassium, sodium, calcium and aluminium. The materials in this landscape are 221 million years old and a product of volcanism and marine sediments. Petrified wood out crops dot the landscape. The park hours are from 8 am-5 pm generally with extended hours by permit. There are signs along the trail which explain the processes that have formed this landscape and continue to do so. If you have a 4th-grade student go to "everykidinapark.gov" for free admission. From the trail head which is close to the Tepees area pull-out parking area the trail begins paved along a ridge but later becomes a gravel path. The sharp descent then flattens out in the basin. It is possible to take a wrong turn if you are not vigilant. I highly recommend that you walk at least part of the path. For another perspective, there is an overlook about a mile uo the road. read more

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I have been wanting to visit Petrified Forest National Park for so long. Have you ever seen petrified wood before? Can you believe that a tree has been transformed into a stone? We actually have a few pieces we bought on our travels years ago. Here you can see fossilized logs, not just small pieces. Blue Mesa in 0.9 mile loop in Petrified Forest National Park which you don't want to miss. Here you can see plenty of petrified wood in a landscape that is similar to Badlands National Park. You can't really experience a place without walking on at least one trail. Pullouts are great but hiking is even better. Especially when it is so short and so incredibly stunning. You'll feel like you arrived to another planet with the hills covered in bluish bentonite clay. read more

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For all the time I live in Arizona I've never been to the Petrified Forest there's not much there just a bunch of rocks in a gram but still really nice drive mountains are nice scenery and it's almost like a mini Grand Canyon one part if you're in the area definitely nice detour but nothing to go out your way read more

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It's absolutely beautiful here, and not super expensive for the average traveler. This park is definitely worth the travel. There is so much more here and it's all beautiful. Come here and check out the rest of the wonders. read more

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