Clam Beds and Red Basin Loop in Petrified Forest National Park, AZ

Hike Clam Beds and Red Basin Loop Petrified Forest National Park, AZ

Class 2 8.2 miles 400 gain 3-5 hrs Loop Nov 8, 2017
Effort
Beauty
Personality
Solitude

Clam Beds and Red Basin Loop GPX Track

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The NPS has a series of fun backcountry adventures in Petrified Forest National Park. I followed their recommended route for some of this one, but deviated quite a bit. You can find their recommended route online. From the Blue Mesa Road, follow a dirt road past an "Authorized Vehicles Only" barrier for a bit until you want to enter open desert. I found a way up to a mesa rim. You can see people on Blue Mesa from here. Try to ignore them, you'll be the backcountry soon enough. After I found a way down off the rim, I explored some of the nooks of the mesa before heading cross-country to the Clam Beds. These are fossilized clams in sandstone. There's a bunch of rocks to see the fossils. Hard to miss them (see map). From here, it was more corss-country to the much more interesting Red Basin. This area of red mounds is super pretty and for me was the highlight. I continued farther east and found something I'm dubbing "Ruby Field" because of the bright red rocks on pedestals a vast white ground. I continued deeper and got into a maze of black mounds with scary-looking sink holes. Would I step in a weak spot and trigger a new one? I found my way out eventually and continued around a mesa in open desert and returned back to my car. A nice little Petrified Forest backcountry adventure.

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Park at the pullout spot where Blue Mesa Road splits and walk back a short distance to this barrier. Petrified Forest asks not to park on the side of the road.
Park at the pullout spot where Blue Mesa Road splits and walk back a short distance to this barrier. Petrified Forest asks not to park on the side of the road.
Along the authorized vehicles only road for a short time.
Along the authorized vehicles only road for a short time.
Yay, open desert!
Yay, open desert!
I don't usually take photos of petrified wood here because there's so much of it, but this one was particularly colorful.
I don't usually take photos of petrified wood here because there's so much of it, but this one was particularly colorful.
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I found a way up onto the mesa for a better view.
I found a way up onto the mesa for a better view.
Along the mesa rim for a bit.
Along the mesa rim for a bit.
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Found a way down off the mesa.
Found a way down off the mesa.
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Through open desert toward the Clam Beds.
Through open desert toward the Clam Beds.
A long line of fence posts without any fence.
A long line of fence posts without any fence.
The Clam Beds are on the other side of this mesa.
The Clam Beds are on the other side of this mesa.
Clam Beds coming up.
Clam Beds coming up.
Clam Bed fossils!
Clam Bed fossils!
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Leaving the Clam Beds.
Leaving the Clam Beds.
That butte looks like it's throwing up rocks. The desert is lonely. I need to entertain myself somehow.
That butte looks like it's throwing up rocks. The desert is lonely. I need to entertain myself somehow.
Some cool rocks.
Some cool rocks.
Through the open desert toward Red Basin.
Through the open desert toward Red Basin.
A small wash leading into the Red Basin.
A small wash leading into the Red Basin.
Photos don't really show it, but this section is super pretty.
Photos don't really show it, but this section is super pretty.
Really gorgeous colors.
Really gorgeous colors.
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Some hoodoos.
Some hoodoos.
I'm naming this spot Ruby Field. Bright colored rocks on mini pedestals.
I'm naming this spot Ruby Field. Bright colored rocks on mini pedestals.
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Entering a section of black mounds with lots of scary-looking sinkholes. The sinkholes only go down no more than 10 feet, but there are enough of them that I was freaked where I was standing could collapse.
Entering a section of black mounds with lots of scary-looking sinkholes. The sinkholes only go down no more than 10 feet, but there are enough of them that I was freaked where I was standing could collapse.
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Finding my way out of the maze of black mounds.
Finding my way out of the maze of black mounds.
Some sinkholes.
Some sinkholes.
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A wash out.
A wash out.
Back in the northern end of Red Basin.
Back in the northern end of Red Basin.
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Looking back at Red Basin before my loop around.
Looking back at Red Basin before my loop around.
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Open desert for a while, looping around a big mesa.
Open desert for a while, looping around a big mesa.
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Some cool petrified wood on my way back before completing the loop.
Some cool petrified wood on my way back before completing the loop.

Hire me or show me some love!

Hire/refer me as a web developer or send me a few bucks if you find my site useful. I’m not sponsored, so all fees are out-of-pocket and my time preparing trip reports is unpaid. I really appreciate it!