Park Overview
Petrified Forest National Park changed from a National Monument to a National Park in 1962. Of the 63 National Parks it is ranked the 31st largest, having slightly more acres than Voyagers. The main things to see and do all lie within the 28 mile drive between the North and South entrance, which means much of the land owned by the NPS cannot be explored. However, this is a nice back-country section that can be explored.
The park is known for its fossils, specifically downed trees, that became “petrified”, or wood that turned to stone. Fossilized wood is special because it’s millions of years old, yet is the same shape as it was in ancient times. It is also very rare and beautiful. Petrified Forest was created to preserve this rare, beautiful, fossilized wood.
Getting to Petrified Forest
Petrified Forest is located in Northeastern Arizona, about 1 hour from the New Mexico border and 2.5 hours from the Utah border. It is about 3 hours from Grand Canyon National Park. At 20 minutes, Holbrook is the closest town. Bigger cities like Flagstaff, Sedona, and Williams are 2+ hours away.
If flying in to Arizona, I recommend flying into Phoenix or Flagstaff. Flagstaff is closer, but is a smaller airport so it might cost a bit more for flights. However the closer distance might be worth the extra cost!
Fees & Cancellation Stamp
It costs $25 per private vehicle to enter PFNP. The pass is good for 7 days and includes all occupants in the vehicle. They do accept the America the Beautiful pass and offer 6 fee-free days throughout the year.
You can find the cancellation stamp for your passport at both the North and South entrance.
Time Required
If you have a tight schedule, you can see this park in one day. I would only add days if you are interested in backpacking or hiking all the trails in the park.
Camping in Petrified Forest
There is no lodging or maintained campgrounds inside the park, the only option is to backpack. The closest hotel is about 20 miles away in Holbrook. If backpacking/hiking in to a campsite, you do need a permit, which are free.
If you are looking for maintained campgrounds, check out the following nearby National Park sites: Canyon de Chelly National Monument, El Morro NM, or Chaco Culture NHP.
Hiking in Petrified Forest
I wish I had done more hiking in Petrified Forest. The few trails I did were all along the main road. However, there are a few backcountry hikes that look like a lot of fun. I’ll list the ones I did below, and here is a link for descriptions on the backcountry trails. Note that you need a permit for Devil’s Playground!
Puerco Pueblo
Distance: 0.3 miles
Description: This is a paved walk around a 100-room pueblo that was built 600 years ago. You can see hundreds of petroglyphs!
Blue Mesa
Distance: 1 mile
Description: This paved and gravel loop trail descends down into what is known as the “Blue Badlands.” This was by far my favorite part of Petrified Forest.
Crystal Forest
Distance: 0.75 miles
Description: This loop trail is basically a garden of petrified wood. It’s the best place to experience a large variety of the wood. It’s a really cool experience!
Giant Logs
Distance: 0.4 miles
Description: This trail is located directly behind the visitor center and features some of the largest logs in the park. Be sure to check out Old Faithful!
There are two other trails, Long Logs and Agate House, that I did not get the chance to do. You can do them separately or combine them for a 2.6 mile loop.
Shopping, Food, Gas
There are two visitor centers: Painted Desert at the North Entrance and the Rainbow Museum at the South Entrance. The Painted Desert Visitor Center is run and staffed by the NPS. It offers basic souvenirs that are at most visitor centers.
The Rainbow Museum has far superior souvenirs, including a massive selection of Native American gifts (dishes, clothing, decorations, etc.). They also have a beverage station and a limited selection of snacks.
There is no gas in Petrified Forest, so come into the park with a full tank!
Things to do
Scenic Drive – The best way to see the major parts of the park is to drive the 28 mile road between the visitor centers and stop at all the stops along the way. There are several overlooks and a handful of trailheads (Blue Mesa, Crystal Forest, Long Logs). There are also cool things to see like The Teepees and the Agate Bridge.
Route 66 – Petrified Forest is the only National Park that Route 66 runs through. Stop and see the exhibit, which includes an old studebaker!
Painted Desert Inn – an Inn made of petrified wood that now serves as a museum and is dedicated as National Historic Landmark. I did not get to visit the inn on my trip but I wish I had!
Know Before You Go
Petrified Forest is in a very remote location. More than one person told me to watch how much gas I had when going to the park, and I still didn’t listen. There is truly not much around and the closest gas station is 20+ miles away. I ended up having to cut my time short because I needed gas. By the time I got back from getting gas, it was so hot and my motivation to do more trails was gone. That was my biggest regret at this park!
Lastly, if you like to hike and explore – spend two days here! There are a lot of cool hikes and none of them are very long. Doing them in one day would be tough but two full days would be plenty. I hope to get back someday to do a few more trails, especially the back-country hikes!
Last Updated: April 7, 2023
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