Petrified Forest National Park Guide

Located in northeastern Arizona, Petrified Forest National Park is home to colorful  petrified wood that’s over 200 million years old! That means it’s even older than when T-rex’s roamed the Earth! During the Triassic period, this area was near the edge of a river channel. During periodic flooding, fallen trees would get buried in the floodplain beneath layers of silt. Over the years, silica enriched groundwater seeped into the logs, creating a replica of the wood molecules with quartz. Many years of erosion later, the logs returned to the surface! It takes millions of years for those molecular changes to result in the color crystalline quartz you see in the logs in the park! This Petrified Forest National Park Guide will take you through the different hikes available, and some must see stops along your journey!

Hours and Fees:

Petrified Forest National Park is open from 8:00 AM – 5:00PM every day of the week. The park is only closed on Thanksgiving and Christmas. If you don’t have an America the Beautiful Pass, the entrance fee is $25 for a private vehicle or $20 for a motorcycle. If you plan on seeing other NPS sites this year, it may be worth it to get an America the Beautiful pass for $80.

Getting to the Park:

There are two entrances to Petrified Forest National Park, the entrance I recommend is the northern one off of Interstate 40. The other entrance is south of the park off of Highway 180. The reason I recommend starting at the northern entrance is because all of the best things are at the southern end of the park, including the better visitor’s center. 

If you don’t have a full day to explore the park, then I would suggest starting at the southern end of the park so you get more bang for your buck. 

Once you’re inside the park, you will drive along the 28 mile road through the park and stop at the various pull offs along the way. 

Beautiful scenery along the drive through the park

Attractions within the Park:

As you drive the 28 mile long road through the park, you will come across many places to pull over and stop! Whether it’s an overlook or the beginning of a trail, you are sure to see something stunning. Since I recommend going north to south, that is how I’ll list attractions. This is also the order that the map from the visitor’s center will show:

  1. Painted Desert Visitor Center – I would stop here just to grab a map! There is another visitor center at the south end of the park where you can buy some souvenirs. 
  2. Painted Desert Inn National Historic Landmark
  3. Painted Desert Overlooks
  4. Route 66 Alignment – here an old car sits where Route 66 once went through the park!
  5. Puerco Pueblo
  6. Newspaper Rock
  7. Blue Mesa
  8. Agate Bridge
  9. Jasper Forest
  10. Crystal Forest
  11. Rainbow Forest Museum and Giant Logs Trail
  12. Long Logs & Agate House  
The petroglyphs on Newspaper Rock

Hiking:

Many of the 12 stops listed above are trailheads for short, but stunning trails. Below is a collective list of the paved/groomed trails that you can find along the 28 mile road through the park:

  • Tawa Trail: This is a 1.2 mile one way trail that begins at the Tawa Point and Painted Desert Visitor Center. 
  • Painted Desert Rim Trail: This is a 1 mile round trip trail that begins at Tawa Point and Kachina Point. This hike offers views of the Painted Desert. 
  • Puerco Pueblo: this is a 0.3 mile loop that begins at the Puerco Pueblo parking area. At the end of the trail, you can view petroglyphs on the rocks below. 
  • Blue Mesa: This is a 1 mile loop that begins at the Blue Mesa sun shelter. On this trail, you will descend the mesa and walk among badland hills and petrified wood. 
Crystal Forest
  • Crystal Forest: This is a .75 mile loop that begins at the Crystal Forest parking area. As you hike, you will be surrounded by the petrified logs that have crystallized over the past millions of years. 
  • Giant Logs: This is a 0.4 mile loop that begins behind the Rainbow Forest Museum. This trail features some of the biggest and brightest petrified logs in the park. 
  • Long Logs: This is a 1.6 mile loop that begins at the Rainbow Forest Museum parking area. Here you can find the highest concentration of petrified wood. 
  • Agate House: This is a 2 mile round trip trail that begins at the Rainbow Forest Museum parking area. Here you will find a small pueblo that is made out of the petrified wood. 

* note that the Long Logs and Agate House trails can be combined for a total of 2.6 miles round trip

Hayley at the bottom of the Blue Mesa Trail

If you are interested in trails off the beaten path, you can ask for a free guide at one of the two visitor centers that will show you areas within the park where you can hike off trail. 

Looking for other things to do during your time in Arizona, check out 20 Things to do in Arizona or Arizona 7-day Road Trip Itinerary!