On a meandering drive to the Grand Canyon, a small brown sign for the Petrified Forest National Park caught my eye, and I decided to pull in for just a moment. That brief stop turned into an uncharted adventure in one of the most gorgeous places to visit in Arizona, boasting jewel-toned hills, sweeping desert views, and 225 million-year-old fossilized logs.
The whimsical land holds as much awe and surprise as the coveted Yellowstone or Death Valley National Parks, but without the crowds. Driving the length of the park takes less than an hour, making it a comfortable half-day trip. But it’s worth it to linger for the viewpoints, scenic hikes, and a dazzling sunset.
If you’re ready to visit one of the best-kept secrets in the United States, here’s the guide I wish I had before my serendipitous visit. It highlights the top natural attractions in the 221-square-mile national park so you can make the most of your time within its boundaries.
Everything you need to know to plan your visit
The Petrified Forest National Park is located in northeastern Arizona, 28 miles east of the nearest town of Holbrook, Arizona. Here are the must-knows before planning your visit:
- Hours: 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM MST year-round (closed on Thanksgiving and Christmas Day)
- Entrance Fees: $15.00 on foot or bicycle, $20.00 for motorcycles, $25.00 per private vehicle
- Entrance locations: Painted Desert Entrance (north) and Rainbow Forest Entrance (south)
- Camping: No established sites, backcountry camping allowed with a free wilderness permit
- Where to eat: The Painted Desert Diner and the convenience store near the north entrance
- Best time to visit: April, May, September, and October for mild weather and fewer crowds
- Average daytime high: 66 degrees Fahrenheit to 74 degrees Fahrenheit
- Recommended time in park: Half, full, or two-day trip
If you’re stopping by on a road trip, as I did, it’s easy to drive in through one entrance and out the other. The Petrified Forest Road spans the park’s most interesting features and is designed as a scenic drive, making it very much worth the trip even if you have as little as an hour of free time.
Remember that the America the Beautiful pass covers a year of unlimited access to all U.S. national parks at an $80 price point. If you plan on visiting at least three parks in the next 365 days, it’s worth it to grab a pass at the Petrified Forest entrance station to save money and time in the long run.
Discover the rainbow colors of Painted Desert Overlook
Make sure to stop by the Painted Desert Overlook, a landscape formed over 200 million years in a vast floodplain. Volcanic Ash, minerals, and silt blend into otherworldly formations while manganese and iron create dramatic bands of color along their surfaces.
Catching the best view at Kachina Point is most enchanting during sunrise or sunset, when the sun adds a splash of drama, adding to the contrast and vividness of the scene. Spring blooms are abundant in April, one of the best times to visit the park.
Two relatively short hikes immerse visitors in the unique landscape. The Painted Desert Rim trail is 1 mile round-trip and has an easy-to-moderate rating. You’re rewarded with spectacular views of the multi-colored badlands and may even spot wildlife along the unpaved trail. The Tawa Trail is 2.4 miles round-trip and an easy walk that leads to relaxing grasslands and the Painted Desert Visitor Center.
Adventurous visitors can enjoy off-trail hiking at Kachina Point, which leads into the park’s northern wilderness. It’s remote, rugged, and a great detour for peace, quiet, and rarely seen vistas away from the crowds. And since this is one of the safest national parks in the US, it’s a good option for first-time wilderness hikers. Before heading out, chat with one of the friendly rangers at the Painted Desert Visitor Center for current park conditions and a map.
Walk among gemstone-laden ancient trees in Crystal Forest
While fossilized wood is found all over the Petrified Forest National Park, the Crystal Forest is ground zero for the biggest and best. This is your most important stop if you want to see as many ancient logs as possible. Fully intact trunks, sometimes over 100 feet long, remain and are blooming with agate and quartz.
The Crystal Forest Trail is the most popular in the park. The flat, paved 0.75-mile loop guides you through the most impressive tree clusters, allowing for a closer look back in geological time. The Giant Logs Trail is 0.4 miles, and the Long Logs Trail is 1.6 miles round-trip near the Crystal Forest. These two vastly different fossil beds display the variety of conditions that ultimately preserve these threes for millennia.
While it may be tempting, don’t touch or climb the fossilized trees. While they’ve successfully endured nature’s harsh conditions since the Triassic period over 200 million years ago, they’re extremely sensitive to the natural oils on our hands.
Step back in time at the Puerco Pueblo ruins
The Puerco Pueblo ruins were once home to a community of nearly 200 people from 1250 to 1380 CE and are the largest archeological site in the Petrified Forest. Each room, constructed out of sandstone, was interestingly built door and window-free and accessed via the roof with ladders. Throughout the 19th century, over 800 petroglyphs, stone artifacts, and tools were discovered on-site.
There’s a flat, short 0.3-mile paved trail that snakes along the living quarters, a mini museum, and helpful informational signs that offer a glimpse into the indigenous community’s way of life. The trail takes under 10 minutes to complete, so it’s a fast detour if you’re on a tight schedule, and is easy to complete for families with small children.
Wander through otherworldly vividness at Blue Mesa
The Blue Mesa region is the moodier, richly-saturated cousin of the Painted Desert, and this is my personal favorite part of the park. It’s a must in any Petrified Forest travel guide and is easy to visit since it’s a perfect stop midway along the park’s main road.
Simply take the detour when you see the Blue Mesa Scenic Road for a 3.5-mile round-trip drive. It’s clearly labeled on a sign and in the national park’s official map. You’re greeted with dramatic badland formations brimming with lavender, peach, slate grey, and soft blue tones. The sloping layers of bentonite clay are vibrant and picturesque, most dramatically so at sunrise and sunset.
The Blue Mesa Trail is 1 mile long and relatively easy, although it has a fairly steep incline at the beginning and end of the trail. It leads to a tranquil basin that offers up-close views of the badlands and clusters of glittering petrified wood, bringing the park’s top attractions together along one stunning route.
