Petrified Forest National Park

Petrified Forest was set aside as a national monument in 1906 to preserve and protect the petrified wood for its scientific value. The monument became a national park in 1962, and legislation passed in 2004 more than doubled the park's area from 93,533 acres (37,851 hectares) to 218,533 acres (88,437 hectares).

Petrified Forest National Park features one of the world's largest and most colorful concentrations of petrified wood, the multi-hued badlands of the Chinle Formation known as the Painted Desert, historic structures, archeological sites, and displays of 225 million-year-old fossils. The park is now recognized as protecting the best representation of the Late Triassic Period in the world, and on average paleontologists discover about two new animal species each year.

The park features one of the world's largest and most colorful concentrations of petrified wood, the multi-hued badlands of the Chinle Formation known as the Painted Desert, and displays of 225 million-year-old fossils.

The park includes a grassland ecosystem and the badlands of the Painted Desert. The terrain changes quickly as you travel through the park, from the vistas of the Painted Desert, into the grassland of a large plateau, through grand geologic formations, and arrays of richly colored petrified wood.

Animal life at Petrified Forest includes amphibians, birds, insects, spiders, mammals, and reptiles. Birds, lizards and some rodents are seen most frequently, though seasons and weather play a large role in determining what animals are active. Nocturnal animals include kangaroo rats, woodrats (also called packrats) and most other small desert rodents, skunks, foxes, bobcats, bats and owls. Animals that can be seen during the day include pronghorn, mule deer, coyotes, porcupines, desert cottontails, black-tailed jackrabbits, squirrels, hawks, snakes, lizards, golden eagles, and many songbirds.

The park has summer daytime average temperatures in the 90 °F (32 °C)s and summer overnight temperatures in the 60 °F (16 °C)s. Winters are mild, frequently freezing overnight but warming by mid-afternoon to an average of 40 °F (4 °C). Park closures for weather are possible but not frequent.

• Park website
• 🌍 Painted Desert Visitor Center (at exit #311 off of I-40). Painted Desert Visitor Center provides information, book sales, exhibits, and restrooms. Timeless Impressions, a free orientation film about the park, is shown continuously throughout the day. A restaurant and gift shop are adjacent to the visitor center.It is part of the Painted Desert Community Complex which is on the National Register of Historic Places. (updated Jun 2020)

An automobile is the only feasible way of getting to the park, located off of Interstate 40 in northeastern Arizona, 106 mi (171 km) east of Flagstaff and 178 mi (286 km) west of Albuquerque. Westbound Interstate 40 travellers should take exit 311, drive through the park and connect with Highway 180 at the south end. Highway 180 north returns to Interstate 40 via Holbrook. Eastbound Interstate 40 travellers should exit at Holbrook and travel on Highway 180 south to the park's south entrance. Drive north through the park to return to Interstate 40.

🌍 Flagstaff Pulliam Airport (FLG ^IATA)  has commuter service to Phoenix on American Airlines.

🌍 Albuquerque International Sunport (ABQ ^IATA)  is a full-service airport served by most major US airlines.

See also: rail travel in the USA

The nearest city with an Amtrak station is Gallup, New Mexico, about 1 hour east of the park on Interstate 40. It is served by the Southwest Chief Chicago - Los Angeles route.

A car is the easiest way of getting around in the park, with the 28 mile (45 km) park road allowing visitors to travel through the park from end to end without backtracking. Eastbound travelers should enter at the south off Highway 180, and exit at the north onto Interstate 40. Westbound travelers should enter at the north at Exit 311 off Interstate 40, and exit at the south onto Highway 180.

Bicycles are permitted only on the established paved roadway and cannot be used on paved or dirt trails or off road at any time. In addition, if planning to see the park from a bicycle be aware of the potential for extreme heat, thunderstorms, or high winds and plan accordingly.

• 🌍 Painted Desert Inn National Historic Landmark (2 mi (3.2 km) from the north entrance just off Exit 311 from I-40, 26 mi (42 km) from the south entrance of the park.). Painted Desert Inn National Historic Landmark, located at Kachina Point 2 mi (3.2 km) from the north entrance at exit #311 off of I-40, once served as a respite for travelers along historic Route 66. From the inn, you may view distant vistas and exhibits while touring this historic building. (updated Jun 2020)

• 🌍 Rainbow Forest Museum. Rainbow Forest Museum provides exhibits of petrified wood, fossils, and displays of prehistoric animals as well as information, book sales, and restrooms. Timeless Impressions, a free orientation film about the park, is shown continuously throughout the day. (updated Jun 2020)

• 🌍 Giant Logs Trail. An easy 0.4 mi (0.64 km) paved trail behind the Rainbow Forest Museum that passes by numerous petrified logs, including the park's largest, nicknamed Old Faithful. 
• 🌍 Long Logs Trail. An easy 0.6 mi (0.97 km) loop trail that is 0.5 mi (0.80 km) from the Rainbow Forest Museum. This trail passes through the park's largest concentration of petrified wood. 
• 🌍 Agate House. Accessible via a 0.5 mi (0.80 km) spur (one-way) off of the Long Logs Trail, this trail leads to a rebuilt pueblo that was constructed out of petrified wood. 
• Crystal Forest Trail. A few miles north of the Rainbow Forest area, the Crystal Forest is accessible via an 0.8 mi (1.3 km) paved loop trail that winds among some particularly colorful petrified logs. 
• 🌍 Jasper Forest. A roadside turnout overlooks hundreds of logs that have been deposited amongst badlands through the erosion of the surrounding rocky bluffs. 
• 🌍 Agate Bridge. This bridge was created as softer rocks eroded around a large petrified log, leaving a lengthy bridge between bluffs. The early park service built several stone supports to keep the bridge from collapsing, greatly diminishing the beauty of this natural wonder. 
• 🌍 Blue Mesa. A 1 mi (1.6 km) loop trail leads into the Blue Mesa area, one of the most colorful landscapes of the park. Minerals in the soil have stained the surrounding bluffs with exquisite colors, while petrified logs have been deposited throughout the area as the bluffs have eroded. 
• 🌍 Newspaper Rock. A roadside overlook leads to an area in which hundreds of petroglyphs have been etched into the rock. 
• 🌍 Puerco Pueblo. A short trail leads around an 800-year-old pueblo that once contained 100 rooms and housed as many as 1200 people. 
• 🌍 Kachina Point / Painted Desert Inn. The Painted Desert Inn is a historic building list on the National Register of Historic Places that offers tremendous views and murals by noted Hopi artist Fred Kabotie. The end point of the one mile rim trail is here. 
• 🌍 Tawa Point. Another painted desert overlook, and the starting point of the Rim Trail. 

Lodging is not available within the park, but many hotels can be found in the towns of Holbrook (20 minutes west), Winslow (1 hour west), Flagstaff (1.5 hours west), and Gallup (1 hour east).

There are no organized campgrounds within the park. Some of the souvenir shops located just outside of the park's southern entrance will allow camping or overnight parking on their properties as long as you purchase at least one item from them.

For those who wish to stay overnight in the park's wilderness area, a free permit must be obtained at least one hour before the park closes. Permits are issued from either the Painted Desert Visitor Center or Rainbow Forest Museum. Hikers must park their cars in the Painted Desert Inn parking area and use the access trail on the northwest side of the building. Backpackers must hike to a designated zone north of Lithodendron Wash before setting up camp. No campsites are maintained in the Wilderness Area, and you must carry all of your water in with you.