Petrified Forest National Park

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.

Riding guide

Entrance fees & passes

• Entrance - Private Vehicle

  Admits one private, non-commercial vehicle (15-passenger capacity or less) and all occupants. Valid for 7 days.

  $25.00

• Entrance - Per Person

  Admits one individual with no motor vehicle (bicyclist, hiker, pedestrian). Youth 15 and under are admitted free of charge. Valid for 7 days.

  $15.00

• Entrance - Motorcycle

  Valid for 7 days. Admits up to 2 private, non-commercial motorcycles with up to 4 total passengers.

  $20.00

• Commercial Entrance - Sedan

  $25 flat fee + $10 per person (Sedans, SUVs, Minivans) If you are conducting an income generating tour of the park, you are subject to commercial tour fees. Fees for commercial vehicles are based on the capacity of the vehicle, not the number of passengers on board, and are valid for 7 days.

  $25.00

• Commercial Entrance - Per Person

  $25 flat fee + $10 per person (Sedans, SUVs, Minivans) If you are conducting an income generating tour of the park, you are subject to commercial tour fees. Fees for commercial vehicles are based on the capacity of the vehicle, not the number of passengers on board, and are valid for 7 days.

  $10.00

• Commercial Entrance - Van

  Capacity of 7 to 15 passengers - $50 (Vans). If you are conducting an income generating tour of the park, you are subject to commercial tour fees. Fees for commercial vehicles are based on the capacity of the vehicle, not the number of passengers on board, and are valid for 7 days.

  $50.00

• Commercial Entrance - Mini-bus

  Capacity of 16-25 passengers - $60 If you are conducting an income generating tour of the park, you are subject to commercial tour fees. Fees for commercial vehicles are based on the capacity of the vehicle, not the number of passengers on board, and are valid for 7 days.

  $60.00

• Commercial Entrance - Motor Coach

  Capacity of 26+ passengers - $150 (Large tour buses, motorcoaches). If you are conducting an income generating tour of the park, you are subject to commercial tour fees. Fees for commercial vehicles are based on the capacity of the vehicle, not the number of passengers on board, and are valid for 7 days.

  $150.00

• Entrance - Non-commercial Groups

  Capacity of 16 or more $15/person. Anyone that is 15 or younger is exempt from paying an entrance fee, in addition to anyone with a valid pass. A pass may cover immediate family members or up to 4 people traveling with the group. A non-commercial organized group is a group traveling together, such as scouts, a club, a church, or other group that has organized its own itinerary. Fees are based on the capacity of the vehicle, not the number of passengers on board, and are valid for 7 days.

  $15.00

• Annual Entrance - Park

  Come here often? Consider purchasing an annual pass. 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.

  $45.00

Trails

No trails synced for this park yet.

Campgrounds

No campgrounds listed for this park.

Points of interest

• Agate Bridge

  POI

  A single large petrified log spans a gully in very pale sandstone at the edge of the mesa, with spectacular views.

• Agate House Trail

  POI

  Reconstructed Ancestral Puebloan village built of petrified wood pieces.

• Blue Mesa

  POI

  Blue Mesa, one of the most beautiful spots in the park, consists of blue, purple, gray, and peach banded badlands with pieces of petrified wood.

• Blue Mesa Trail

  POI

  Visitors walk along the spectacular Blue Mesa Trail.

• Crystal Forest Trail

  POI

  Multiple tan petrified logs gather along the Crystal Forest Trail under a blue sky with badlands in the background.

• East Old 180

  POI

• Giant Logs

  POI

  Giant Logs is part of Rainbow Forest in Petrified Forest National Park. Once an ancient log jam in a Late Triassic river, Giant Logs was the heart of the original national monument set aside in 1906 by President Theodore Roosevelt.

• Giant Logs Trail

  POI

  Visitors walk along Giant Logs Trail through grassland and pieces of petrified wood.

• Giant Logs Trail Stop #1

  POI

  Stop 1 along Giant Logs Trail

• Giant Logs Trail Stop #10

  POI

  Petrified log eroding from the surrounding hills.

• Giant Logs Trail Stop #11

  POI

  Paleo art reminds us that the petrified trees are from another time.

• Giant Logs Trail Stop #2

  POI

  Giant Logs Trail Stop #2

• Giant Logs Trail Stop #3

  POI

  Giant Logs Trail Stop #3

• Giant Logs Trail Stop #4

  POI

  Giant Logs Trail Stop #4

• Giant Logs Trail Stop #5

  POI

  Giant Logs Trail Stop #5

• Giant Logs Trail Stop #6

  POI

  Giant Logs Trail Stop #6

• Giant Logs Trail Stop #7

  POI

  Giant Logs Trail Stop #7

• Giant Logs Trail Stop #8

  POI

  Giant Logs Trail Stop #8

• Giant Logs Trail Stop #9

  POI

• Hamilili Dune

  POI

• Hamilili Point

  POI

  Badland, grassland, and mesa view from South No Name Point, the access point for the south unit of the Petrified Forest National Wilderness Area.

• Kachina Point

  POI

  View from Kachina Point of the red part of the Painted Desert.

• Long Logs Trail

  POI

  Colorful petrified wood pieces in front of blue gray badlands along the Long Logs Trail.

• Nizhoni Point

  POI

  Nizhoni Point overlooks the unconformity between the Chinle and Bidahochi Formations.

• Off the Beaten Path Billings Gap Overlook Route Stop 1

  POI

• Off the Beaten Path Billings Gap Overlook Route Stop 2

  POI

  Trailhead for the Off the Beaten Path Billings Gap Overlook route.

• Off the Beaten Path Billings Gap Overlook Route Stop 3

  POI

  View point along the Off the Beaten Path Billings Gap Overlook route.

• Off the Beaten Path Billings Gap Overlook Route Stop 4

  POI

  Titular stop of the Off the Beaten Path Billings Gap Overlook route.

• Off the Beaten Path Billings Gap Overlook Route Stop 5

  POI

  Towers, hoodoos, and monuments can be viewed at Blue Mesa.

• Off the Beaten Path Onyx Bridge Route Stop 1

  POI

  An off the beaten path hike into the wilderness to a petrified log hidden in the red badlands.

• Off the Beaten Path Onyx Bridge Route Stop 2

  POI

  Along the Off the Beaten Path to Onyx Bridge.

• Off the Beaten Path Onyx Bridge Route Stop 3

  POI

• Painted Desert Community Complex National Historic Landmark

  POI

  Painted Desert Community Complex National Historic Landmark is a Mid-Century style collection of buildings.

• Painted Desert Inn National Historic Landmark

  POI

  Historic Pueblo-Revival style building sitting on the edge of a mesa above the red badlands of the Painted Desert, lit by dawn.

• PEFO Audio Tour North Stop 1

  POI

• PEFO Audio Tour North Stop 10 and South Stop 23

  POI

• PEFO Audio Tour North Stop 11 and South Stop 22

  POI

• PEFO Audio Tour North Stop 12 and South Stop 21

  POI

• PEFO Audio Tour North Stop 13 and South Stop 20

  POI

• PEFO Audio Tour North Stop 14 and South Stop 19

  POI

• PEFO Audio Tour North Stop 15 and South Stop 18

  POI

• PEFO Audio Tour North Stop 16 and South Stop 17

  POI

• PEFO Audio Tour North Stop 17 and South Stop 16

  POI

• PEFO Audio Tour North Stop 18 and South Stop 15

  POI

• PEFO Audio Tour North Stop 19 and South Stop 14

  POI

• PEFO Audio Tour North Stop 2

  POI

• PEFO Audio Tour North Stop 20 and South Stop 13

  POI

• PEFO Audio Tour North Stop 21 and South Stop 12

  POI

• PEFO Audio Tour North Stop 22 and South Stop 11

  POI

• PEFO Audio Tour North Stop 23 and South Stop 10

  POI

• PEFO Audio Tour North Stop 24 and South Stop 9

  POI

• PEFO Audio Tour North Stop 25 and South Stop 8

  POI

• PEFO Audio Tour North Stop 26 and South Stop 7

  POI

• PEFO Audio Tour North Stop 27 and South Stop 6

  POI

• PEFO Audio Tour North Stop 28 and South Stop 5

  POI

• PEFO Audio Tour North Stop 29 and South Stop 4

  POI

• PEFO Audio Tour North Stop 30 and South Stop 3

  POI

• PEFO Audio Tour North Stop 31

  POI

• PEFO Audio Tour North Stop 3 and South Stop 30

  POI

• PEFO Audio Tour North Stop 4 and South Stop 29

  POI

• PEFO Audio Tour North Stop 5 and South Stop 28

  POI

• PEFO Audio Tour North Stop 6 and South Stop 27

  POI

• PEFO Audio Tour North Stop 7 and South Stop 26

  POI

• PEFO Audio Tour North Stop 8 and South Stop 25

  POI

• PEFO Audio Tour North Stop 9 and South Stop 24

  POI

• PEFO Audio Tour South Stop 1

  POI

• PEFO Audio Tour South Stop 2

  POI

• Petrified Forest Museum Association Bookstore, Painted Desert Visitor Center

  POI

  The park store is operated by Petrified Forest Museum Association, an official non-profit partner of the National Park Service dedicated to supporting the educational mission of Petrified Forest National Park.

• Petrified Forest National Wilderness Area: North Unit

  POI

  Grasslands fill the spaces between red badlands with mesas in the distance.

• Petrified Forest National Wilderness Area: South Unit

  POI

  Rocks—some with petroglyphs—pile up throughout the scenic view with buttes and mesas under a blue sky.

• Petroglyph Canyon

  POI

• Puerco Pueblo

  POI

  Ancestral Puebloan site with easy loop trail, petroglyphs, and a mini-museum.

• Rainbow Forest

  POI

• Rainbow Forest Museum

  POI

• Tatáypi Point

  POI

  Great view of the red part of the Painted Desert

• Tawa Point

  POI

  Tawa Point overlooks the red part of the Painted Desert and looks towards the Painted Desert Inn. The point is also a trailhead.

• Tawa Trail

  POI

  Hiker walking through the grassland under sunset clouds and sky.

• The Flattops

  POI

• The Tepees North Pullout

  POI

  Red and gray badland hills are beautifully barren.

• The Tepees South Pullout

  POI

  The Tepees is a area of the park named for the conical hills with banded mudstones that were thought to resemble tepees—or tipis as some people spell it.

• Tiponi Point

  POI

  View of the red part of the Painted Desert at Petrified Forest National Park.

• Whipple Point

  POI

  Overlook for the red part of the Painted Desert, Pintado Point, and Pilot Rock.

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!

  Duration: 2-10 Minutes

• 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.

  Duration: 30-60 Minutes

• 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.

  Duration: 60 Minutes

• 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.

  Duration: 30-60 Minutes

• 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.

  Duration: 30-120 Minutes

• 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.

  Duration: 20-120 Minutes

• Walk Long Logs Trail

  Explore this ancient log jam at the base of purple and gray badlands along a paved half-mile loop.

  Duration: 60-120 Minutes

• Walk Puerco Pueblo Trail

  The 3/4 -mile paved Puerco Pueblo Trail features the remnants of a hundred room masonry pueblo.

  Duration: 10-60 Minutes

• 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.

  Duration: 20-120 Minutes

• 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.

  Duration: 30 Minutes

• Watch Wildlife

  Watching wildlife is a seasonal activity, but just in that the species to watch change, particularly in birdwatching.

  Duration: 5-120 Minutes

Visitor centers

• Painted Desert Inn

  In its almost 100 years overlooking the Painted Desert, the inn has undergone many changes. The original building from the early 1920s was made of petrified wood. Today's stucco façade dates to the 1930s renovation of the Painted Desert Inn. The national historic landmark functions only as a museum now, with no overnight accommodation and food service. Displays inside highlight the building's history, Route 66, and the Civilian Conservation Corps. There are also restored murals by Hopi artist Fred Kabotie.

  Get directions

• Painted Desert Visitor Center

  Painted Desert Visitor Center is located at exit #311 off of I-40 is closed for construction. Follow signs to the Painted Desert Inn. This facility is serving as the north visitor center. The center provides information, brochures, book sales, exhibits, and restrooms.

  Get directions

• 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.

  Get directions

Webcams

• Webcam at the Painted Desert Inn National Historic Landmark

  Currently unavailable.

Hours of operation

Activities

Weather

Contact

Photos

Directions

Petrified Forest stretches north/south between I-40 and Hwy 180. There are two entrances into the park.*** ***WESTBOUND I-40***Travelers should take Exit 311, drive 28 miles through the park to Hwy 180 at the south end. Travel 19 miles to return to I-40 via Holbrook.*** ***EASTBOUND I-40***Travelers should take Exit 285 into Holbrook then travel 19 miles on Hwy 180 to the park's south entrance. Drive 28 miles north through the park to return to I-40.