Petrified Forest Activities

Park activities include the park film, museums, sightseeing, photography, walking, hiking and wilderness backpacking. A variety of ranger programs are given year round with an increased number during the summer. A program schedule is displayed at visitor contact areas.

Note: The removal of petrified wood or other features of the park is prohibited by law. Gift shops sell petrified wood that comes from private land, outside the park. No petrified wood is removed legally from the park.

Driving non-stop, through the park, takes 45 minutes. The average length of stay is 2 hours but remaining all day is also common. The park is locked at night and visitors must be in their cars and driving towards an exit at closing time.

With advanced notice the park has several programs for school groups. Call for additional information.

AUTO TOURING

Petrified Forest National Park has one main road with an entrance station at either end. Driving time from one end of the park to the other is about 45-minutes without stops. Depending on your direction of travel, you may enter the park from the north or from the south.

Traveling east to west:
If you are traveling west after your visit to Petrified Forest National Park, enter at the north end from Interstate-40, Exit 311. You will then drive through the park and exit out the southern end onto Highway 180, traveling 19 miles into Holbrook where you will again access Interstate-40.

Traveling west to east:
If you are traveling east after your visit to Petrified Forest National Park, leave Interstate-40 at the first Holbrook exit and use Highway 180. The southern park entrance is off Highway 180, 19 miles from Holbrook. You will then drive through the park and exit out the northern end onto Interstate-40.

BACKCOUNTRY

Much of the backcountry at Petrified Forest National Park is within designated Wilderness, one of the first two designated Wilderness Areas within the National Park System. Wilderness was designated within Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve at the same time as Petrified Forest National Park.

What is Wilderness? The concept is different for everyone. Artists may see shapes and color; backpackers anticipate an adventure; legislators define it in legal terms. In general, wilderness is a place where the human imprint is minimal.

In 1964 Congress passed the Wilderness Act, restricting grazing, mining, timber cutting and mechanized vehicles in these areas. Wilderness Areas are protected and valued for their ecological, historical, scientific and experiential resources. The Petrified Forest Wilderness Area consists of over 50,000 acres of mesas, buttes, badlands, and scattered areas of grasslands.

Access
Access to the Painted Desert Wilderness is near Kachina Point, in the northern section of the park. The Wilderness Access trailhead is on the northwest side of Painted Desert Inn. This one-mile trail leads into the Wilderness Area as it crosses Lithodendron Wash.

Overnight camping
For those who wish to stay overnight in the 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.

Groups
Group camping is limited to 8. Because of the slow rate of decomposition and the fragile desert environment, minimum impact camping is very important. This includes limiting the number of people within an area.

Horseback Riding
Horses are allowed in the Wilderness Areas. No permits are required for day trips. Go to the Horseback Riding page for more information.

BIKING

Bicycles are only allowed on paved park roads. They are not allowed on or off trails.

The Blue Mesa Loop Road offers cyclists a chance to get out of their vehicles and stretch their legs as they drive through the park. Park at the pullout adjacent to the Blue Mesa Loop Road turn off. The ride in and back out is approximately 3.5 miles and offers panoramic views from the edge of Blue Mesa with glimpses of petrified wood eroding from the landscape.

TRAILS

The best way to enjoy and experience Petrified Forest National Park is on foot. Maintained trails range in length from less than a half-mile to almost three miles.

Stay on designated trails in developed hiking areas. Off-trail hiking damages the fragile grassland environment and disturbs wildlife habitat, creating unsightly "social" trails. Leaving the designated trail can also be hazardous for hikers due to loose rock and dangerous cliffs.

Pets must be kept on leash and are allowed on maintained trails. Pets are not permitted in the park buildings or in Wilderness Areas.

If you are interested in hiking in the Wilderness Area, where there are no trails, as a day hike or on an overnight backpacking trip, go to the Backcountry page for more information.

HORSEBACK RIDING

Horseback riding at Petrified Forest National Park can be a unique and rewarding experience. You can ride for a few hours or a few days. Be prepared, check the weather conditions, and know the limits of yourself and your horse.

Wilderness Access
Two miles north of the Painted Desert Visitor Center, is the Wilderness Access trail near Kachina Point, on the northwest side of Painted Desert Inn. Here you will find trailer parking and loading/unloading room. Please park your trailer so that it does not interfere with vehicle traffic flow.

Trail conditions
The first section of switchbacks descend 400 feet on an unstable surface, with steep drop-offs. Depending on your capability, you may want to lead your horse down. Once in the Painted Desert there is very little grade change and riding is easy.