Painted Desert (Arizona) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Painted Desert
Relief map showing arc-shaped desert north and northeast of Mogollon Plateau and Mogollon Rim.
Length	160 miles
Area	93500 acres
Naming
Native name	Error {{native name}}: an IETF language tag as parameter {{{1}}} is required (help)
Geography
Country	United States
State	Arizona
Borders on	Little Colorado and Puerco rivers

The Painted Desert is a colorful desert area in the United States. It's known for its bright and varied colors, like red, orange, pink, and even lavender. This special place is found in the Four Corners region, where the states of Arizona, New Mexico, Utah, and Colorado meet.

The desert stretches from near Grand Canyon National Park all the way southeast into Petrified Forest National Park. The easiest way to visit it is through the northern part of Petrified Forest National Park.

Discovering the Painted Desert

The Painted Desert got its name from a Spanish group led by Francisco Vázquez de Coronado. This happened in 1540 when they were looking for the legendary Seven Cities of Cibola. Coronado found these cities about 40 miles (64 km) east of Petrified Forest National Park.

When they realized the cities were not made of gold, Coronado sent some of his team to find the Colorado River for supplies. As they traveled through this amazing land of colors, they decided to call it El Desierto Pintado. This means "The Painted Desert" in Spanish.

Protecting the Painted Desert

A large part of the Painted Desert inside Petrified Forest National Park is a protected area. It's called the Petrified Forest National Wilderness Area. In this special area, vehicles are not allowed. This helps keep the natural beauty safe.

The park has many trails for visitors. You can enjoy both easy walks and longer hikes into the colorful hills. The Painted Desert also goes north into the Navajo Nation. If you want to explore off-road there, you need to get a special permit.

How the Desert Got Its Colors

The amazing colors of the Painted Desert come from its rocks. The desert is made of many layers of rock like siltstone, mudstone, and shale. These rocks are part of something called the Chinle Formation, which formed during the Triassic period.

These rock layers contain lots of iron and manganese. These elements act like natural paints, giving the rocks their different shades. Harder layers of limestone and volcanic rock sit on top of the flat-topped hills, called mesas.

Many layers of volcanic ash are also found in the Chinle Formation. This ash provides the silica that helped turn ancient trees into the petrified logs seen in the area. Over time, wind and water have worn away these layers. This process created the unique, rugged landscape known as badlands.

In the southern parts of the desert, you can find fossilized remains of a coniferous forest. This forest lived millions of years ago during the Triassic period. Wind, water, and soil erosion continue to change the landscape. They move sediment and reveal new layers of the Chinle Formation. Scientists have found many fossils of ancient plants and animals here. They have also found old dinosaur tracks and signs that early humans once lived in this region.

Size and Weather

The Painted Desert stretches from towns like Cameron and Tuba City in the northwest. It goes southeast past Holbrook and Petrified Forest National Park. The desert is about 120 miles (190 km) long and 60 miles (97 km) wide. This means it covers an area of about 7,500 square miles (19,000 km²).

To the southwest and south, it borders the Mogollon Plateau. This plateau has a high edge called the Mogollon Rim. Because of this rim, the Painted Desert has a cold desert climate. This means it has hot, dry summers. Winters are chilly, but there's usually very little snow. The Painted Desert gets the least amount of rain in northern Arizona.

Getting Around the Painted Desert

Many parts of the Painted Desert can only be reached by walking or by driving on unpaved roads. However, there are major highways and paved roads that cross through the area.

The towns of Cameron and Tuba City are two important settlements in the area. Both of these towns are located within the Navajo Nation. If you plan to travel on backroads within the Navajo Nation, remember that you need to get a special permit first.

Gallery

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  The Painted Desert, Petrified Forest National Park

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  The gray and red colored bands across the landform are typical of most geologic features in the Painted Desert.

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  Painted Desert with logs of petrified wood, Petrified Forest National Park

A panoramic view of the Little Painted Desert County Park as seen from Arizona Route 87

See also

In Spanish: Desierto Pintado para niños