Between the Sonoran Desert to the south and the Mojave Desert to the west lies the unique and picturesque Painted Desert of Northern Arizona. The Navajo and Hopi people have inhabited this area for hundreds of years but it was Spanish colonialists that named it El Desierto Pintado.
The Painted Desert is an interesting and colorful part of Northern Arizona. It starts south of Holbrook and extends about 120 miles northwest almost to Grand Canyon National Park. It encompasses about 7,500 square miles of the Colorado Plateau. Because much of this desert is within the Navajo Nation, there are few roads, making the area mostly inaccessible. Some of the more accessible views of the Painted Desert are from Petrified Forest National Park.
The unique geological topography turns the Painted Desert into a multi-hued canvas of lavender, gray, red, orange and pink. The area is made up of colorful mudstone and sandstone known as the Chinle Formation. The rocks of the Chinle Formation were deposited from 227 to 205 million years ago during the Triassic Period. Over the next 180 million years the rocks were buried, uplifted and then eroded into the present-day badland topography.
The Painted Desert is proof that the Earth is ever changing. No single cataclysmic event has shaped this landscape. Volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, floods, endless heat and sunlight have all caused the Painted Desert to evolve over millions of years.
The Painted Desert is an interesting and colorful part of Northern Arizona. It starts south of Holbrook and extends about 120 miles northwest almost to Grand Canyon National Park. It encompasses about 7,500 square miles of the Colorado Plateau. Because much of this desert is within the Navajo Nation, there are few roads, making the area mostly inaccessible. Some of the more accessible views of the Painted Desert are from Petrified Forest National Park.
The unique geological topography turns the Painted Desert into a multi-hued canvas of lavender, gray, red, orange and pink. The area is made up of colorful mudstone and sandstone known as the Chinle Formation. The rocks of the Chinle Formation were deposited from 227 to 205 million years ago during the Triassic Period. Over the next 180 million years the rocks were buried, uplifted and then eroded into the present-day badland topography.
The Painted Desert is proof that the Earth is ever changing. No single cataclysmic event has shaped this landscape. Volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, floods, endless heat and sunlight have all caused the Painted Desert to evolve over millions of years.
This gallery contains some of my favorite Painted Desert images that are available as downloads and fine art prints. To view the gallery, click here or on the photo collage above. When you are in the gallery, click on a thumbnail to enlarge an image. To navigate the images click on the arrows. To see the captions click on the (i) symbol.
