Petrified Forest is a beautiful Arizona national park full of subtle colors, unique geology, ancient fossils and more. This park is most known for its high density of petrified wood, much of which is over 200 million years old.
All of the highlights of Petrified Forest can easily be seen in one day, but the park might be larger than you think. The park is 221,390 acres and a sizable portion of that is a remote wilderness area.
Petrified Forest is a great park for hikers and non-hikers alike. There are many overlooks and several short trails that are great for families or anyone looking to stretch their legs.
This itinerary includes all of the best things to do in Petrified Forest National Park. It’s action-packed with several overlooks, points of interest and short hikes inside the park. It’s based on my experience visiting Petrified Forest in March 2025.
Tips and Things to Know about Petrified Forest National Park
- Like every park, it’s important to leave no trace when you visit. One of the principles is to not take anything with you, and this park sometimes has a problem with people trying to take the petrified wood. You should not only not do this because it’s wrong, but because there is an infamous curse where anyone who takes wood is cursed with bad luck.
- The entrance fee for Petrified Forest National Park is $25 per vehicle. If you’ll be visiting multiple parks throughout the year, you’ll probably save money by purchasing the America the Beautiful pass!
- The Guide Along audio tour is a fantastic way to learn about the park as you drive. I listen to their tours whenever I can!
When To Visit Petrified Forest National Park
The best time to visit Petrified Forest is in the spring or fall. This is when you’ll find mild temperatures and the best weather for hiking.
As you’ll find with most of Arizona, visiting in the summer is very hot. If you do visit during the summer, you’ll want to avoid spending too much time outside in the heat of the day and go on any longer hikes in the early morning. Summer also brings monsoons, usually occurring in the late mornings.
In the winter, you might experience snow between October and March, but it melts quickly and can create some beautiful scenes.
I visited in early March and had wonderful weather!
Petrified Forest National Park: One Day Itinerary
Here’s how to spend one day in Petrified Forest National Park! The main road through Petrified Forest goes North to South, and there are visitor centers at each end. I recommend starting at either the North or South side, and making your way to the other end of the park. This itinerary starts on the North side and completes at the Southern end of the park.
Visit the Painted Desert Visitor Center
Whenever possible, it’s great to start your national park trip at a visitor center! The Painted Desert area actually has more than just the visitor center - it’s a whole complex with a restaurant, a demo lab for fossils, a gift shop, a gas station, and more. It’s a great stop to make on your way into the park.
Take in the View at Tiponi Point
Right after the visitor center, make a quick stop at Tiponi Point. The overlook faces North and has a lovely view of the red painted desert. It reminded me a bit of the Painted Canyon at Theodore Roosevelt National Park!
Hike the Desert Rim Trail
The Desert Rim Trail offers lovely views overlooking the Painted Desert, which has beautiful shades of reds and whites.
The trail is an easy 1.2-miles that goes between the Painted Desert Inn and Tawa Point. It’s a nice hike to stretch your legs and enjoy the views of this part of the park.
Visit the Painted Desert Inn
The Painted Desert Inn is a National Historic Landmark that was first built around 1920, and restored by the CCC in the 1930’s. The building is made of Pueblo Rivival Style architecture in the ‘parkitecture’ style popular in the National Park System.
Today, the building serves as another visitor center and includes a museum, an ice cream parlor, a gift shop and more.
Enjoy the Views at Pintado Point and Nizhoni Point
You’ll come across Pintado, Nizhoni, Whipple and Lacey Point as you continue driving through the park. Pintado Point is the highest point in the entire park and has 360-views at a nice overlook. The next viewpoints are right next to each other and offer similar scenes, so you’ll probably want to pick one to stop at before you continue on.
Get a Taste of Historic Route 66
Did you know that Petrified Forest is the only national park that contains a bit of the historic Route 66?
The road has since be rerouted, but you can see a line of telephone pools marking the way. This roadside stop also has a vintage car and signage about the historic area.
Check out Newspaper Rock
Newspaper Rock is quite an impressive stop in Petrified Forest. The spot has more than 650 petroglyphs that were created by ancestral Puebloan people between 650 and 2,000 years ago. You can’t get very close to the petroglyphs, but you can use a telescope to get a closer look.
Hike the Blue Mesa Historic Trail
The Blue Mesa Historic Trail was easily my favorite part of Petrified Forest National Park! The hike is about 2 and a half miles and leads you to the top of badland formations. Unlike most of the paved trails in the park, this one feels more adventurous (while still being on the easier side of moderate).
You’ll park on the side of the road and start by hiking on flat ground. I recommend using the AllTrails map to make sure you know where you’re going. Soon, you’ll climb up onto badland formations and you’ll start to see petrified wood.
Tip: There is a higher concentration of petrified wood in the Southern part of the park. There is some interested petrified wood along this trail, but the appeal of this area is more about the colors and rock formations.
There are some narrow and steep sections of the trail, and plenty of opportunities to admire the enjoy and colorful formations that surround you. The trail connects into the Blue Mesa paved trail, so you can hike them both at once, or drive between them.
Hike the Blue Mesa Trail
The Blue Mesa Trail is another one of my favorite areas of the park. It’s a great place to admire the purple-striped badlands, unique formations and a bit of petrified wood.
The Blue Mesa Trail is paved, but a bit steep. The trail is a 1-mile loop where you’ll climb down a hill, then hike the loop, then hike back up. There are also viewpoints from above that offer fantastic views of the colorful rocks.
Check out the Agate Bridge
As you continue south through Petrified Forest, the Agate Bridge is a quick and unique stop. It’s a large petrified log that expands across a gully, forming a bridge. Historically, many visitors would take photos standing on top of the bridge. In the early 1900’s, fear of the bridge collapsing caused the railroad to pay for pillars to be installed under the bridge. So, the bridge is no longer naturally standing on it’s own, but it’s neat to see.
Admire the Views at Jasper Forest
From this point onward as you head south, you’ll see a much higher concentration of petrified wood! This stop, Jasper Forest, is a quick viewpoint that has petrified logs that have been eroded from a forest that is 216 million years old.
If you have time, you can hike along the Old Jasper Forest Road from here. The road was constructed by the CCC but closed in 1965 due to the amount of petrified wood being removed illegally.
Whether you visit the viewpoint or hike the longer trail, this is a wonderful place to admire the ancient pieces of wood.
Walk the Crystal Forest Trail
The Crystal Forest trail is another quick and easy hike that gets you up close and personal to petrified wood. The unique part about this area is that you can see a lot of crystallized pieces of wood, in whites, purples, pinks and a rainbow of colors.
The trail is 0.8-miles and paved. I loved seeing the large logs popping out of the ground, and the colorful crystallization that has occurred on many of the pieces. It’s hard to believe that the wood is over 200 million years old.
Walk the Giant Logs Trail
The Giant Logs Trail is a great last trail to check out before exiting the park. As the name suggests, this area features some of the largest logs in the park.
This short hike is a 0.4-mile loop and has some steps. It’s located right next to the Rainbow Forest Visitor Center and museum, where you can pick up a trail guide if you’d like.
Don’t miss “Old Faithful” at the top of the trail. It’s the largest piece of wood in the park, at almost 10 feet wide.
Explore the Rainbow Forest Museum and Visitor Center
End your day at the Rainbow Forest Museum and Visitor Center! This is a great spot to learn about how the petrified wood was created, see fossils, and more. You’ll also find a giftshop at the Rainbow Forest Lodge across the street.
Where to Stay near Petrified Forest National Park
There is no lodging or front country camping within the park. However, you can enjoy backcountry camping in the Petrified Forest Wilderness Area. To do this, you’ll need to obtain a free permit from a visitor center.
The closest town to stay for hotels near Petrified Forest is Holbrook, which has a variety of hotels, motels and RV parks. Check out Brad’s Desert Inn, the LaQuinta Inn & Suites or the Best Western Arizonian to name a few.
Final Thoughts
I hope this guide helps you plan an amazing trip to Petrified Forest National Park! This unique park is subtle, but incredibly beautiful with its crystallized logs, striped badland formations, fossils, history and more. It’s the perfect add-on to an Arizona road trip!
For more Southwest Travel Guides, check out these blogs:
- The Best Day Hikes in Sedona
- How to Spend 2 Days in Zion
- The Best Things To Do in Bryce Canyon
- How to Spend One Day in Capitol Reef
- How to Spend 3 Days in Moab
- The Best Things To Do in Kanab, UT
- How to Visit the White Pocket in Arizona
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