Established
1962
Size
221,390 acres
Visitors / yr
800K
Entrance
$25
Best season
April through October
Nearest airport
FLG Flagstaff Pulliam
01
Why Petrified Forest is worth the trip
Arizona · Established 1962
Petrified Forest is the park where the trees are made of stone and the ground does the showing off. Logs from 225-million-year-old conifers lie shattered across the Painted Desert, their wood replaced cell by cell with quartz in reds, purples, and golds. Nothing else in the park system looks remotely like Crystal Forest at low sun.
It is also the easiest park in the Southwest to actually do. A 28-mile road runs its full length between two interstate exits, stringing together the badlands overlooks at Blue Mesa, the Puerco Pueblo ruins and petroglyphs, and the only stretch of historic Route 66 inside a national park, marked by a rusting 1932 Studebaker. Give it a half day, walk the short trails instead of just driving, and leave every piece of petrified wood where it lies. The rangers are serious about that, and the guilt-return letters in the museum are legendary.
02
Top things to do in Petrified Forest
Where we would start, and what we would plan a day around. Read the full guide.
Start here
10 Things to Do in Petrified Forest & Painted Desert
Read the guide
01
Museum Exhibits · nps.gov
Peek into the Paleo Lab
Visit the Museum Demonstration Lab at the Painted Desert Visitor Center Complex where you can ask questions and watch them work on fossils from...
02
Biking · nps.gov
Go Bicycling
Bicycle—including ebikes—use is permitted on paved park roads and parking areas open to the public as well as some areas listed in the main...
03
Bookstore and Park Store · nps.gov
Collect Your Cancellation Stamps
Collect your cancellation stamp!
04
Front-Country Hiking · nps.gov
Walk Long Logs Trail
Explore this ancient log jam at the base of purple and gray badlands along a paved half-mile loop.
Museum Exhibits · nps.gov
Peek into the Paleo Lab
Visit the Museum Demonstration Lab at the Painted Desert Visitor Center Complex where you can ask questions and watch them work on fossils from...
02
Biking · nps.gov
Go Bicycling
Bicycle—including ebikes—use is permitted on paved park roads and parking areas open to the public as well as some areas listed in the main...
03
Bookstore and Park Store · nps.gov
Collect Your Cancellation Stamps
Collect your cancellation stamp!
04
Front-Country Hiking · nps.gov
Walk Long Logs Trail
Explore this ancient log jam at the base of purple and gray badlands along a paved half-mile loop.
Before you go
Get the Petrified Forest heads-up
Permit windows, closures and seasonal alerts, plus our best Petrified Forest guides, in your inbox before you go. Free, no spam.
03
Plan your trip
Our guides for the big decisions, plus the gear, maps and lodging we would actually use for Petrified Forest.
Where to stay
Gateway towns with lodging, food and outfitters.
- Holbrook, AZGateway town
Maps & guides
Carry paper. Cell service dies fast inside most parks.
America the Beautiful pass
$80 a year. Covers entrance fees at more than 2,000 federal recreation sites.
Get the pass
What to bring
Field-tested picks we bring on park trips.
-
Sun HatFull-brim coverage for exposed trails with zero shade. View on REI
-
Water BottlesCarry at least 2 liters. More in desert heat. View on REI
-
Hiking BootsAnkle support and grip for rocky, uneven terrain. View on REI
-
Sun-Protective ShirtUPF 50+ fabric keeps you cool and blocks UV all day. View on REI
Getting there
- FLG Flagstaff Pulliam 110 mi
- PHX Phoenix Sky Harbor 200 mi
Some links in this section are affiliate links. If you book or buy through them we earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. We only recommend what we would use ourselves.
Petrified Forest map
VC Visitor Center
CG Campground
Nearby Park
04
When to go
Loading weather...
Month-by-Month Conditions
Tap any month for details
Month
High
Low
Crowds
Roads
Jan
50°
21°
Light
Open
Feb
56°
24°
Light
Open
Mar
64°
30°
Heavy
Open
Apr Best
72°
36°
Heavy
Open
May Best
81°
44°
Heavy
Open
Jun Best
91°
53°
Peak
Open
Jul Best
93°
60°
Heavy
Open
Aug Best
90°
59°
Moderate
Open
Sep Best
85°
52°
Moderate
Open
Oct Best
74°
39°
Moderate
Open
Nov
61°
28°
Light
Open
Dec
50°
21°
Moderate
Open
Best months to visit
Crowd level (low to peak)
06
Parks near Petrified Forest
Within reach if you are building a longer trip.
Worth protecting
Petrified Forest belongs to all of us
Protections that took generations to win can be rolled back in a single session of Congress. We keep watch so they hold.
Stay in the Loop
Free dispatches on the parks and the policy fights around them, almost every day. Threats tracked, wins celebrated, no fluff.
Threatened Lands Map
Follow what's happening on federal lands across the country with our interactive map.
View the Tracker