Parks / Petrified Forest National Park
Petrified Forest National Park
National Park · AZ
A landscape where deep time lies fully on display, Petrified Forest National Park blends colorful badlands, vast grasslands, and one of the world’s largest and most vivid collections of petrified wood. Spanning more than 200 million years of geologic history, the park protects ancient fossils, ancestral Puebloan sites, habitat for desert animals, and a sweeping stretch of historic Route 66.
Official NPS page →Current Alerts (2)
The Painted Desert Oasis Gift Shop, Gas Station and Restaurant are Open!
The Painted Desert Oasis gift shop, gas station and restaurant located at the north entrance of the park are open, and restrooms are available during construction. Visitor center operations are currently located at the Painted Desert Inn, two miles past the entrance station.
Park Headquarters Phones are Down
Phones at park headquarters are currently down. Please call the visitor center at Painted Desert Inn 928-235-2467 or the Visitor Services office 928-235-2391 between 8 am and 5 pm. You can also send us an email at [email protected].
Entrance Fees
The park's annual pass costs $45 and is valid at Petrified Forest National Park. It admits the pass owner and all accompanying passengers in a single, private, non-commercial vehicle. The pass is available to purchase in the park at the entrance stations and is good for one year from the month of issue. You can pay with a debit or credit card only.
Things to Do
Become a BARK Ranger!
As long as you both follow the BARK Ranger rules, you can take your leashed dog, cat, or other pet almost everywhere you can go in the park.
Collect Your Cancellation Stamps
Collect your cancellation stamp!
Enjoy Horseback Riding
Bring your own horse and take a ride into the backcountry.
Explore at the Paleo Exhibits at Rainbow Forest Museum
Explore the paleontology exhibits at Rainbow Forest Museum.
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 text. Be careful along park roads—everyone is looking at the view!
Go Geocaching
Go geocaching. There are multiple caches in the park including traditional and virtual.
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 the park.
Take a Self-Guided Tour of Giant Logs
Take a self-guided tour of Giant Logs, one of the highest concentration of large, colorful petrified logs.
Walk Blue Mesa Trail
This 1-mile alternately paved and gravel trail loop offers the unique experience of hiking among banded badland hills of bentonite clay as well as petrified wood.
Walk Crystal Forest Trail
Walk Crystal Forest Trail for one of the best opportunities to experience the petrified wood deposits as it loops through rolling gray and purple badlands.
Walk Long Logs Trail
Explore this ancient log jam at the base of purple and gray badlands along a paved half-mile loop.
Walk Puerco Pueblo Trail
The 3/4 -mile paved Puerco Pueblo Trail features the remnants of a hundred room masonry pueblo.
Walk the Painted Desert Rim Trail
This unpaved trail winds 1-mile round trip through the rim woodland, a place for chance encounters of many species of plants and animals and spectacular views of the Painted Desert.
Walk the Tawa Trail
Enjoy the tranquility of the grassland as the paved trail leads you to scenic Tawa Point. The 1.2-mile one way Tawa Trail is a perfect place to stretch your legs after a long road trip.
Watch Wildlife
Watching wildlife is a seasonal activity, but just in that the species to watch change, particularly in birdwatching.
Visitor Centers
- Painted Desert Inn
- Painted Desert Visitor Center
- Rainbow Forest Museum
Webcams
Source: National Park Service.