Petrified Forest, The, Calistoga

Petrified Forest/Painted Desert are interesting to see but not really worth the effort and money to get there unless you're on your way somewhere else, say to the Grand Canyon. There is some nice scenery and the petrified wood is pretty when you see it up close, but from a distance it just looks like a pile of cut-up logs in a big sandbox. Unless you're really into geology or if you are unusually inspired by big piles of lightly colored sand, I would not recommend this park to you. It is too far out of the way of anything else that's worth visiting.