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| Old telephone poles mark where Route 66 used to run in Petrified Forest National Park. |
Route 66 roadbed at Petrified Forest National Park.
A good segment of the roadbed to follow runs 2.2 miles round trip, though there’s plenty more of Route 66 to
A good segment of the roadbed to follow runs 2.2 miles round trip, though there’s plenty more of Route 66 to
walk. This is not an official trail and requires
a little bushwhacking.
To reach the trailhead, from Interstate 40, exit north onto Park Road and enter the park. After passing through the entrance station, continue along the road (which becomes Petrified Forest Road along the way) to the Route 66 pullout on the right/west. Park at the pullout.
At the pullout is a interpretive sign and a Studebaker. Old telephone poles mark the former course of Route 66, once known as the “Main Street of America,” as it ran from Chicago to Los Angeles. Much of the road is overgrown and tore up, but you should be able to make out where it once went, especially if you check out an aerial map of the site.
To walk the old roadbed, cross Petrified Forest Road and follow the beat up desert track that heads northeast, angling away from Interstate 40. This is a little quieter than taking the route west from the pullout, which heads toward the freeway.
Take the highway that’s the best
U.S. Route 66 was constructed in 1926. Running through Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and California, it was a major route for Dust Bowl migrants leaving the Great Plains.
Its real fame came following World War II, especially when Nat King Cole released his famous tune that urged listeners to “Get your kicks on Route 66.”
Many did get their kicks. With America only beginning to homogenize, the 2200-mile drive from Chicago to Los Angeles was an adventure through many different cultures and natural wonders. Each restaurant, filling station, and tourist trap was unique. And best of all? There was no speed limit.
In what is now Petrified Forest National Park, Route 66 travelers could see a view of the Painted Desert from an overlook, and even enjoy a meal or stay overnight at the adobe pink Painted Desert Inn.
The interstate highway system made the route obsolete by the early 1960s, however. Route 66 was decommissioned in 1985.
Won't you get hip to this timely tip
Petrified Forest is the only national park with a section of the historic route. In 2006, the pullout section was developed at point where Route 66 crossed what is now Petrified Forest Road.
As the cross-country route you’ll hike is overgrown, don’t wear sandals or shorts when traipsing past the desert brush and cacti. There is enough open space to avoid rubbing up against the plants, but you’ll have to weave your way through them. To avoid losing your way, just follow the telephone poles.
To reach the trailhead, from Interstate 40, exit north onto Park Road and enter the park. After passing through the entrance station, continue along the road (which becomes Petrified Forest Road along the way) to the Route 66 pullout on the right/west. Park at the pullout.
At the pullout is a interpretive sign and a Studebaker. Old telephone poles mark the former course of Route 66, once known as the “Main Street of America,” as it ran from Chicago to Los Angeles. Much of the road is overgrown and tore up, but you should be able to make out where it once went, especially if you check out an aerial map of the site.
To walk the old roadbed, cross Petrified Forest Road and follow the beat up desert track that heads northeast, angling away from Interstate 40. This is a little quieter than taking the route west from the pullout, which heads toward the freeway.
Take the highway that’s the best
U.S. Route 66 was constructed in 1926. Running through Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and California, it was a major route for Dust Bowl migrants leaving the Great Plains.
Its real fame came following World War II, especially when Nat King Cole released his famous tune that urged listeners to “Get your kicks on Route 66.”
Many did get their kicks. With America only beginning to homogenize, the 2200-mile drive from Chicago to Los Angeles was an adventure through many different cultures and natural wonders. Each restaurant, filling station, and tourist trap was unique. And best of all? There was no speed limit.
In what is now Petrified Forest National Park, Route 66 travelers could see a view of the Painted Desert from an overlook, and even enjoy a meal or stay overnight at the adobe pink Painted Desert Inn.
The interstate highway system made the route obsolete by the early 1960s, however. Route 66 was decommissioned in 1985.
Won't you get hip to this timely tip
Petrified Forest is the only national park with a section of the historic route. In 2006, the pullout section was developed at point where Route 66 crossed what is now Petrified Forest Road.
As the cross-country route you’ll hike is overgrown, don’t wear sandals or shorts when traipsing past the desert brush and cacti. There is enough open space to avoid rubbing up against the plants, but you’ll have to weave your way through them. To avoid losing your way, just follow the telephone poles.
A good turnaround point is a sandy jeep trail about 1.1 miles in.
There’s no shade at all, so be sure to don sunscreen, sunglasses and sunhat.
There’s no shade at all, so be sure to don sunscreen, sunglasses and sunhat.
AERIAL MAP
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| Route 66 Trail. Click for larger version. |
