Bucket List: Hiking With The Clams
We circled, and circled, and circled the scenic drive trail, trying desperately to find this hiking trail. We had to count the number of vistas (signs) to find where to park and where to actually hike this trail. Frustrating, but worth it!
The Red Basin/Clam Beds hike near the Petrified Forest starts on a dirt road trail, but there is not parking there. It is kind of weird to walk on an old dirt trail, but sometimes hiking trails are like that, but not the whole trail for this one. You have to park a little ways from the “trailhead.” Again, no sign, but a wooden barricade. This unique trail can be a loop trail or an out and back trail, however long you want to walk on it. There is no shade, so be prepared to have plenty of water and protection from the famous Arizona heat.
As we started on this dirt road, I wondered when we would get to see the clams, or any type of pretty hill. It seemed to take a while to walk the dirt road, so patience is key here. The name of the trail comes from the fact that there are actually clam shells scattered here and there. These ancient clam shells are embedded into the rocks, which in my opinion, proves that water covered this land long ago.
Lo and behold, we finally get close to what I wanted to see: clams. Not for soup, and I do love New England Clam Chowder soup, but for the embedded clams. Plus the trail changes a little bit, looking like a hiking trail. Here is what we saw:
So the trail changes to wherever you want to go, which can be intriguing if you feel adventurous and want to try something new. We walked past this “clammy” area, which I thought was incredible as seeing clams in the desert is something I usually do not see. I was willing to open my mind to new explorations, like a clammy desert. But I did not expect something like a moon landscape!
We walked through and around this amazing landscape that seemed out of this world! It did take many years for this creation to be made, not something overnight, and the colors! The colors!!!! It felt like a fantasy walking through the colorful landscape, and eventually it was time to turn around and go back to the trailhead. Back to the clams and eventually the old jeep road. But the memories of this magical landscape and the beauty it exudes will forever be etched in my memory.
What is a magical place you went to?
