Hey there! Are you ready to plan an enchanting trip to Petrified Forest National Park?!?! You’ll feel like you’ve been transported back in time as you explore these ancient forests of rock! You are sure to find something here that everyone in your group will LOVE.
Petrified Forest is a place unlike any other — and likely somewhere you will talk about for years to come. It’s not every day you get to see gorgeous colorful desert landscapes and trees that have been turned to stone. This unique place will leave you speechless!
There is so much to do. You may have already looked at a map and been a little overwhelmed — and eager — to make sure that you don’t miss the best sights.
I’m a former park ranger, and I’ll help you plan your vacation down to the details. I’ve extensively explored Petrified Forest and am here to help! Whether this is your first time to Petrified Forest, or if you are returning after many years and would like to be reintroduced to the park, this list of 8 things is for you.
What You Need to Know About Petrified Forest National Park
- Petrified Forest has specific opening and closing hours! Unlike many other national parks, you actually can’t be in the park during certain hours…you must be off the trail and driving out before they lock up the gates. For more information on the park’s operating hours, click here.
- This park has two sections, and they are vastly different! The northern area consists of the stunningly colorful Painted Desert and focuses on the human history of the park. The southern area is where you’ll find huge amounts of petrified wood.
- There are no developed campgrounds or lodges in the park. Backcountry camping is available, but permits are required. You can learn more about camping in the park here.
- Plan ahead! At first glance, it may seem that there is not much to do here….and most people just drive right on through. If you’re not just wingin’ it, you’ll get a lot more out of your visit to this park.
- PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE don’t take any petrified wood with you (besides the fact that you’re not following Leave No Trace, it’s also against the law). If you are tempted to take some home, stop at one of the gift shops in the park or just outside of the south entrance and buy some wood (that was not collected within park boundaries) to keep as a souvenir.
I’ll make sure that you don’t miss the most popular sights, but I also want to provide a few treasures that are off the beaten path as well. Let the adventure begin!
Click NEXT to see this awesome list of 8 things you can’t miss on your first visit to Petrified Forest National Park!
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I will only have around 2 hours in Petrified Forest / Painted Desert given the 5pm closure. Planning on going to Little Painted Desert County Park to catch sunset after leaving the park. I assume with my short time there that any of the hikes are out of the question. That being the case which viewpoints do you recommend driving to?? Coming from the west and plan on entering the Park from the southern entrance via 108 and driving up. Does that make sense to do as well??
Thanks so much!
PS: I’ve purchased your guides for Bryce and Zion and can’t wait for my trip to the southwest next week.
Yeah, that’s the way I’d go in…it gets you closer to the petrified wood portion of the park! If you can, I’d try to get to Blue Forest, Crystal Forest, and Giant Logs in that amount of time. It might be cutting it close, but you may be able to do all three.
If you don’t want to spend your time driving up to Blue Mesa, you could hang out down by Giant Logs and Crystal Forest, and then add on the Long Logs or Agate House hike with any time you have left.
Either way, you’ll see a ton of petrified wood!
Hi Ash! I am a retired lawyer (I was a prosecutor for many years)…I got bored in retirement so I went back to college and earned an Anthropology degree, with an emphasis on Southwest Archaeology. While I enjoy archaeology in general, I focus my travels on rock art. I have been fortunate to visit many beautiful rock art sites in the US, Mexico, and Australia. I ran across your website while planning a trip to Petrified Forest National Park (PFNP). I have visited the park twice before and have visited Newspaper Rock and Puerco Pueblo to experience the rock art there. For my upcoming trip, I plan to spend several days at the park and hike to some backcountry rock art sites. I see that the park has guided hikes (last ones scheduled are in March of this year) to Martha’s Butte, Petroglyph Mesa, and Petroglyph Canyon. I have contacted the park and am waiting a call back as to whether they will be offering these guided hikes in late April or early May (I am taking my second vaccine shot on 3-29-21 and plan to wait at least two weeks before I travel). May I ask a couple of questions that I hope will help me plan my trip? First, if there are no guided hikes scheduled, will I be allowed to hike to the above locations by myself? There are other sites/areas I would like to visit such as the Flatiron Panel, Lacy Point, and Billings Gap….the PFNP website says the park encourages back country off trail explorations, but really doesn’t give any specifics. Do I need a permit to hike to these areas? Is there anyone at the park that you recommend I talk to in my effort to experience as much rock art as possible? I thank you in advance for your kind attention to my inquiries.
Hey Tom,
Sounds amazing! If those guided hikes are not available when you go, you should still be able to hike to those areas on your own. They provide route maps at the visitor centers, so be sure to plan in some time to stop by and talk to a ranger before you hike. You shouldn’t need a permit if you don’t plan on camping overnight in the backcountry, with the exception of the Devil’s Playground. Have a fabulous time!!
How long would you say it takes to hit these spots? It seems like it could be done under 8 hours.
If you decide to hike one of the off-the-beaten-path trails, then you may need to add an extra hour or two. But otherwise, you can complete all of these things in a day if you move at a moderate pace!
My family and I were there in 1975. At that time you were able to to get close to “Newspaper Rock” because I took a couple of Polaroid pix. I enjoyed reading your article, and I’m curious if you know when it was placed “off limits”? Thanks, Mildred Harrison
I’m not sure when they changed that, but how fun to have been able to see it up close!
We will be traveling with my elderly mother whose ability to walk long distances is limited. Will we enjoy this from the car and the pull-out areas?
Yeah, you can see a good deal of this park from the car. There are a few short trails you’ll want to take if you can (to get up close to the petrified wood). I’d aim for at least Crystal Forest and Giant Logs if you can get out and walk!
How hard would it be to explore with a blind person she can see a little and wants to see this before she cant see at all.
There are some great paths in the park that take you up-close to the petrified trees. I think you’ll find some great things to do with her!
We will be traveling through this coming March. I have a son with special needs and his ability to hike long distances is pretty limited. I want him to get as much out of this as he can. Each trail is marked clearly on difficulty?
The trails generally have distance and elevation gain information before you begin. There are some wonderful short hikes in that park! If you have any concerns about a particular trail, let me know. He will likely be able to complete most activities from this list. Have a great trip!
Did you hear about the curse of the petrified wood forest? if you take wood from the park, back luck looms over you for the rest of your life?
Haha I believe it!
Awesome article about an awesome place. Please, people, do not take samples.
When I was last there it was extremely windy and we blew all over the place. A must see.
Thank you for your comment — I’m glad you enjoyed the park. Safe travels!