Blue Forest Trail

The route begins on the old lower Blue Mesa road, nearly level for about half a mile. Its broad, road-like tread can look as if it continues as a drive track. Then the trail climbs the badlands by switchbacks, crosses a few rolling hills and climbs again toward the ridge. It follows the crest before dropping to the paved Blue Mesa Trail. The tread is not always obvious, and erosion can leave tempting false paths; keep the route description handy and follow the actual line.

Loose, ball-bearing gravel and slippery clay are the main challenge, with steep spots and narrow, exposed ridges. Wet or icy ground can make the tread treacherous. The park recommends this route for experienced hikers who are sure-footed; if exposed edges or uncertain paths make you uneasy, choose the separate Blue Mesa loop instead. It is only a mile and alternates pavement and gravel, though its first descent is steep.

The hills shift between blue-gray, white, purple and mauve, and the view changes at each turn. As erosion strips away the slopes, petrified wood emerges close to the route. The ridge looks out toward the Billings Gap area and the broad badland basin. A long petrified log perched on a natural pedestal is a reported landmark along the ridges. Light changes the colors, and monsoon season can bring patches of green and wildflowers. For a photo, use one of the low mounds in the foreground with the layered hills behind it; it shows the depth of the country better than a flat horizon shot.

The Civilian Conservation Corps built the Blue Forest route between 1934 and 1937 to connect the lower and upper Blue Mesa roads. The trail and lower road closed in 1955, when the Blue Mesa Loop replaced them. The park re-established the historic path in 2013 for adventurous hikers. That history explains why the route feels different from the paved loop: it follows an older crossing through the badlands rather than circling the mesa on the modern developed trail.

Start at the South Teepees roadside pullout on Petrified Forest Road. The far end joins the paved Blue Mesa Trail; it is another 0.3 mile along that trail to roadside parking on Blue Mesa Loop Road, so a shuttle makes the point-to-point route work as intended. The park also lists a 3-mile round trip. That longer figure is consistent with counting the 0.3-mile paved access leg in each direction; from the South Teepees pullout alone, retracing the connector is about 2.4 miles. Dogs are allowed on a leash no longer than six feet.