It was getting late in the day as I
roamed through the Petrified Forest National Park. I needed to start
thinking about where I was going to spend the night. I asked a Park
Ranger about camping nearby. He told me the National Park didn't have
a campground, but there were 2 large private owned gift shops at the
South end of the park that offered free camping. Free camping
always appeals to me as long as it is in a safe place and no
regulations against it. I decided to check it out.
I picked the one with the tepees. There were even electric hook-ups. Perhaps they do charge a fee for the electric if campers prefer a hook-up.
During my tripping I have stayed at National, and State parks...National Forest, BLM, Wall-Mart, truck-stops, ferry landings, privately owned campgrounds and probably others, but never a gift shop. This was a first, and if you are at the Petrified Forest and in need of some sleep, I highly recommend the gift shop or shops whichever the case may be.
Both gift shops are visible in this picture |
The campsites even had a huge stumps of the petrified wood at each site |
The next morning this rabbit was trying to get a drink in the parking lot, there really wasn't any water there but it was moist. |