Petrified Forest National Wilderness Area

The Petrified Forest was an incredible experience! The views are absolutely stunning, from the colorful Painted Desert to the ancient petrified wood scattered throughout the park. It's like stepping into a different world. The park is well maintained, with plenty of scenic overlooks, short and long hikes, and informative signs that make the visit both fun and educational. We loved how easy it was to explore at our own pace, and the visitor centers had great displays and helpful staff. Whether you're into geology, history, or just amazing landscapes, this is a must-see stop. Don’t skip the Blue Mesa Trail—truly unforgettable!

Finally made it to the Petrified Forest in memory of my Mom that always wanted to visit but never got the chance. It was more than I expected. Loved the petroglyphs, the views, the colors, everything! #mysteryladystravelingfeet #naturalparks #NaturalBeauty #Arizona #petrifiedforest

Some great photos and cool pictures. Some unique features other parks do not have in the park. .

We started hiking the Painted Desert Rim trail, and then near the old inn we went down into the wilderness area. It’s amazing. We were hiking up the mesas and between them. We found lots of petrified wood, it’s incredible! It looks like a piece of wood, but it feels like a heavy rock. Very unique nature. We enjoyed the hike a lot. And there were no people there. I highly recommend going there. Hiking in wilderness is amazing.

I don't know if we were unlucky, but we went to the visitor center on 03/29/25 at 10am where we faced a rude and unhelpful employee who was standing on the left side of the counter. She didn't give us any information and said that if we wanted to know anything, we should go straight to the gate. Since we were just passing through we decided not to go ahead. Furthermore, the day was cloudy and the colors of the desert don't stand out as much.

It's such a gorgeous place 😍 I really want to hike some too

Such a beautiful place so much to see definitely worth a stop

Devil's Playground is a awesome hike! Make sure you get permits.

lots of fabulous tree specimens easy access and great vistas can walk up and touch these marvelous stone historical pieces but leave them on the ground haha

Drove by here on Thanksgiving Day, and the park entrance was closed. We were able to take a snapshot right outside with the national park sign. Other than that, we drove down highway 40 and some some petrified wood along the road. Also got a make a pitstop at a local store that had petrified wood right in their parking lot, so got to see first hand what that looked like. Very cool. I can imagine that experience being 1000 x better inside the park.

The park is exactly what it sounds like... lots of petrified wood. ( coincidentally I danced under the name petrified wood in college) the trees are amazing. The museum and trail are very cool and there are dinosaur fossils. There are some nice gift shops and snack bars in the park. Don't miss the painted desert... it is so scenic it is genuinely offensive. North side of the park borders the interstate. Overall a good 4 hour or full day side quest

Haven't been her for 25 years and it hasn't changed! Beautiful as far as you can see! It's 93 today HOT! You just drive and can't wait for what's around the bend! We went from one end all the way through to the other end! A light rain but it was so hot it stopped as fast as it started! The area where you can park and touch the tree trunks was real nice, they felt like a rock!

I was here in 2018, and have looked forward to being able to visit again. This time though, I had a different mode of transportation. I'm my way to San Diego for an auto tour, and I took the opportunity to unload a 1922 Model T Ford to drive through. A 52 mile round trip and a million smiles later, i had a different perspective on how the early tourists must have felt here at this jewel of a park. Driving history thru history, is a unique experience. Talking some time to see the vastness of the desert and the immense amount of petrified wood made me feel kinda small. We just pass thru history and this is a way to glimpse our ancient past.

I had never heard of this place before and didn't know what to expect. It's not exactly a forest in the traditional sense of the word as I don't recall seeing many trees. Quite the contrary as a matter of fact. There are a lot of really cool hills with different colors. It's an incredible sight to be seen. You can do as much or as little as you like. There are a bunch of places to stop and look at things closely or you can just see the views from the comfort your vehicle. I'm really glad we took the time to stop in.

If you happen to be in this area of Arizona, I'd highly recommend passing through these national parks. It's such an incredible experience to be surrounded by ancient trees that have essentially turned to stone. I can promise you, you won't see anything else quite like this place. It may look a little bleak in some photos, but there's something kind of magical about seeing it in person.

After growing up in Arizona my whole life, I finally made a visit here to Petrified Forest National Park. I got my first National Parks Pass a few years back and have been driving all over Arizona to visit parks that I have never been to. This is a very unique national park that includes a 28 mile drive from end to end with stopping points along the way. There are two entrances into the park on the north and south side. Both sides have visitor centers with information about the park and park rangers on hand to answer questions. The nearest city to Petrified Forest National Park is Holbrook. The Petrified Forest is known for its Triassic fossils. These large deposits of petrified wood are very colorful and are deposited all over the park. Many of these fallen trees are millions of years old. President Theodore Roosevelt made the Petrified Forest a national monument in 1906. It became a National Park in 1962. The park is very colorful and includes the Painted Desert area and conical hills called tepees. The earliest human inhabitants lived here thousands of years ago which has led to the discovery of many archeological sites, including petroglyphs. My favorite thing about visiting National Parks is finding good hikes. Majority of the hikes here in Petrified Forest are short and easy to walk on. The Blue Mesa is my favorite hike. It is a one mile loop trail on a mixed paved and gravel path that goes through hills of bluish bentonite clay. It is such a beautiful hike. Giants Logs trail is short and located behind the Rainbow Forest Museum and includes the popular "Old Faithful" log. You can see an old pueblo and petroglyphs on the Puerco Pueblo trail. The Tawa Trail is near the Painted Desert Visitor Center. Near the north end of Petrified Forest National Park is the beautiful cliffs and hills of the Painted Desert. Route 66 used to run through the park and an old 1932 Studebaker sits on the former road. Overall you can drive through the park in about an hour unless you make a bunch of stops like I did. Activities include hiking, backpacking (with permit), cycling, horseback riding and geocaching. The visitor centers have fossils you can check out and gift shops. There is no RV, car, or front country camping in the park. Dogs are allowed but have to be on a leash. It is illegal to take petrified wood out of the park.

What an awesome place. Beautiful views of the painted desert, blue mesa, and rainbow forest ( petrified wood). Make sure to stop by the visitor center for a map because it will point out highlights all along the drive. Basically you enter the park at one of the entrance (there is 2) and drive through the other way. It's 28 miles. I would highly recommend getting the Shaka guide as the stories and educational info make the drive more interesting. However, without the Shaka guide you just need the park map. Gorgeous views.

This is a beautiful national park that I would highly recommend visiting. I'd plan a whole day to walk multiple trails and get the full experience. Each trail highlights different natural wonders so I'd take the time to research them and see what's most exciting to you. We loved the trail off of the visitor center as there was so much petrified wood to admire. Some trails had numerous logs while others had beautiful colored hills. We didn't get to see the petroglyphs but they are probably worth a visit too! Get here early for the best temperatures!

Petrified Forest National Park can be found along Route 66 and is dog friendly (this national park also has a "Bark Ranger" program in which your pet will get a free treat. You can also buy special Bark Ranger pet tags). Dogs are welcomed on all developed trails throughout the park. My husband, our little girl dog and I visited this national park during March and went on a few of the paved trails. On one of the light hikes, I recall reading one of the information boards how trees underwent a petrification process. Over 218 millions years ago (during the Triassic period... where dinosaurs first appeared on the earth), fallen trees crisscrossed the river channel. Over time, flooding buried some of those logs in layers of silt (which is sand, clay or other material that is carried by running water and deposited as sediment). Over time, silica enriched the ground water and eventually replaced the organic molecules in the wood that created a replica in quartz (which petrified wood is mainly made up of). There are various different colors of wood that you will see at this national park. If you see red, yellow, orange and purple then that means that oxides iron is within the tree, which gives the color you see. If you see black and grey, then the tree has oxide manganese. If you see white, then this means this tree or part of the tree is pure quartz. These colors made for a very visually appealing sight. You will see broken pieces of trees that look like tree stumps. But these trees/ logs were not cut but actually cracked and broke on its own. There are a handful of easy trails to walk (and yes they are paved so it should be easy for both you and your dog). We also saw some petroglyphs in the petroglyph canyon. But please note that because this area is all rocks and jagged, this is not a dog appropriate trail. But because we have a special dog backpack for our little girl, she just went along with us on my husband's back as we explored and took photos of the many unique designs/ carvings. If you plan on coming here with your 4 legged pal, I would recommend hiking shoes for your pet. The paths can be very hot if you come during the warmer months and also you want to make sure your pet's paws are protected (our little girl hikes with us pretty often so she has little hiking boots) from any sharp surfaces. It cost $25 per private vehicle or $15 per person if you walk in. If you plan on visiting other national parks in one year, you may want to consider getting the America the Beautiful pass (cost $80) that allows for you and three others admission to all the national parks and national monuments (that is valid for 12 months). If you visit about 4 national parks in one year, you will make your money's worth.

This review is for Historic Blue Forest Trail which was a ~2.4 miles round trip that took ~1.25 hours to complete. The entrance from US 180 has a gate that automatically opens after 8am; you won't be able to get in before that. Beautiful views throughout the hike with the snow! A few icy spots but do-able without microspikes. Extremely cold in the low ~15°F. The second half of the loop may be a little confusing; just make sure you have the AllTrails map. Parking is on the side of the road. Short video of the hike for those interested! https://youtu.be/NlBe9NrhvLk

Junior Rangers will have a blast here! With Movies, and a program that hits on topics of interest to any Ranger fans. The activity book and 4 colored pencil, one can complete and gain a certificate, to fill out on the back of the activity packet given in the gift store, for free.

This was probably the most disappointing national park I have been to so far. I didn't really have many expectations going in, and it still managed to not meet them. The Petrified Forest drive itself was nice, but that's about where it stops. We started at the entrance with the visitor center, and we felt like many of the views were what you could see at the Grand Canyon, only not as magnificent. We stopped at Newspaper Rock, and you could vaguely see some of the petroglyphs from the vista point. I completely understand why you can't get super close, but I still felt like they left you so far away to really appreciate them. The Crystal Forest was cool. A bunch of crystallized logs that you get to walk through. But once you see one, they're all pretty much the same. Which was pretty much the gist of this park. I feel like for a park that's been a national park since 1962, it would've been more developed and involved. It felt more like a highway with occasional stops on the side of the road than a national park. If you're a huge fan of these crystallized trees, then this stop is perfect for you. Otherwise, you'd be better off enjoying the Grand Canyon and skipping this park. Unless you, like us, want to see all 63. If that's the case, just be prepared for a less impressive park.

You can learn a lot about the parks here. The Rangers are very friendly and available to answer all of you questions. They even swore in my son as a junior ranger, he really liked that and really felt special afterwards. After receiving your map and touring inside, walk outside to see the display of massive sized stacks and slabs of real Petrified Wood. It's very impressive. The Petrified Forest didn't have as much wood as I had initially imagined. But you'll definitely be able to see large areas in the park with huge fallen trunks, chunks and chips of petrified wood. If you plan on visiting both the Petrified Forest and Painted Desert, you'll find petrified wood scattered throughout both parks. In the past, the parks used to have a plentiful amount of petrified wood. Sadly, over the decades, people have removed the wood piece by piece. This park was once a lush forest where dinosaurs lived and roamed. It's amazing to think about what it might have looked like. Overall, I highly recommend you check out both parks. It's really a once in a lifetime experience. Highly Recommended!

Came here to look for skinwalkers. Found em. A lot of proof here. Staff were nice and helpful.

The last of our national park and national monument visits on this trip. We were not sure if this park would be worth the extra effort to drive out this far. We entered the park from the south end since we stayed in Holbrook. We started with a short hike around some colorful samples of petrified wood and then watched a very good movie explaining how these logs were created and ended up here. We headed north and stopped and hiked a number of short paved paths to observe the forest remains. As we got to the north part of the park it transitioned to the Painted Desert. There are some nice overlooks of this colorful but muted landscape. We then stopped at the historic Painted Desert Inn which was very nice. There are some tables here that would be good for picnicking or at the nearby visitor center (both are nicer than the designated picnic area). This park is definitely more interesting than we expected.

Out in the middle of the desert is a national park. Spectacular vistas of painted rock, vast dry river valleys, unearthed dinosaurs, and ancient civilizations lie before us. We have driven through it twice, getting through in a few hours. If we walked in, we could disappear forever. Williams, just down the road, is a good stop for lunch or dinner. At the Puerco Pueblo in the park, as well as the buildings and petroglyphs, there is a set of interpretive signs that led me to imagine life in what was a marshland centuries ago. To generations that lived here, this was the world.

We were driving east on I-40 and decided we would take a quick look at the park since we have the annual national park pass. We went to the museum and gift shop and proceeded to drive through the park. We typically really appreciate and admire the nations national parks but this particular park is underwhelming in our opinion. Please note that we did not have the time to devote to exploring the park by foot or by taking the side roads to specific sites. We simply did a drive through of the park. There is a lot of petrified wood and logs and large areas of painted hills. The colors and natural features didn't stand out to us. We do not suggest you bypass this park but do suggest you do your research before visiting.

I want to start off with saying that I purchased an annual National Parks pass and I highly recommend doing so. I live in Albuquerque but have passed by the Petrified Forest National Park entrance quite a few times making the drive many times in the past. This time I had my pass so on the return from Phoenix, I drove through the back way right before you get to Holbrook and drove through. It added about 1.5 hours to my drive and was totally worth it. The weather wasn't fantastic, super windy and gloomy but it made for beautiful pics with the dark sky. I drove through solo and was totally fine. My only tip would be skip the "visitor centers/gift shops" at the very entrance and just drive through to the parks service ran centers that are past the payment/entrance station. Be prepared to drive and stop and drive and stop many times. There are a ton of little lookouts and areas to enjoy the different parks of the park.

Wow!! There are so many beautiful, historic and interesting things to see at this national park. This was our first time there and we had our 7 month old baby with us so some portions were a bit tough with the stroller so we'll definitely come back when she's older. I see how you could easily spend all day in this park walking the different trails and even seeing the sights at different times of the day! Apparently sunset / 7:30ish is a great time to see the rainbow effect of the striated rock mountain formations as well as the crystallization inside of the petrified wood logs. We started on the north end and left out the south - I would do it the opposite way next time. We did this in early July and since there are more of the walking trails on the south end, I would start there and then enjoy the AC of my car the rest of the way. Coming north to south we were a little exhausted by the end and then we had to get out into the sun and heat to see some of the 'big sights'. Also worth noting: the south entrance gift shop is way better than the north entrance gift shop. The movie room is large and in its own room room with ceiling fans going above while the northern one is located inside the little cafe and you basically have a bench to sit on right by the busy bathrooms. Also the selection of items within the southern gift shop is vast.. you have so many more shirts, cups and magnets to choose from! Wish we would have known because we would have spent the money there ins

The painted desert and the petrified forest are together. We were in Sedona to hike but the weather changed ... got cold and windy so it was miserable to be outside. One day it was 70 the next day it was snowing hard. So this changed our plans. We had to do what we could from car because the wind was like nothing I'd ever experienced. We drove an hour or 2 here and saw what we could from the car. I really didn't have high expections but the scenery was pretty. I wish it had been nice enough to do some walking. We saw some people doing it. They are tougher than me. I love that veterans can get into national parks free. Park is worth a visit.

Highly recommend. Great views and many places to stop for photos. Great trails too if you want to walk. 28 mile drive through the park. A bit pricy.

FYI: There are two entrances into the park, depending on where you are coming from. Each entrance has a visitor's center (Painted Desert and Rainbow Forest). Their website has maps and directions for your planning needs. Either way, you should end up at Rainbow Forest at some point since it's where the museum is located. This national park isn't all that big and you definitely should abstain from comparing it to some of the grandiose parks in this country. It is its own thing but what it does offer is really unique and precious. Petrified wood is so beautiful and fascinating. Also, the park's small size makes it a great road trip stop. A few recommended hikes (all easy and within a short driving distance of each other). I did them all in a fairly short visit. -Blue Mesa Trail (1 mile round trip) -Crystal Forest Trail (1 mile round trip) -Giant Logs Trail (half a mile round trip) *If you had to choose only one, I'd probably recommend Crystal Forest. Blue Mesa is pretty cool with its badlands however the petrified wood is minimal. Crystal Forest had a lot of petrified wood to look at. If you are really short on time, Giant Logs is only a half mile walk and located right behind the museum. It has quite a bit of petrified wood to look at as well. You can buy some petrified wood at the museum gift shop. They warn you to abstain from gathering any wood in the park area. Unfortunately, the petrified wood for sale was extremely expensive. I wish they had more affordable options because I really wanted to buy some.

We spent several hours driving through the petrified national forest on our summer road trip! It is definitely a driveable park, with many places to park your vehicle and view the surrounding landscape. Our favorite stops were the Painted Desert and the Crystal Forest. It's amazing how erosion and geological formations can be so fascinating. We had a memorable time here and were glad we made a stop at Petrified Forest!

This is, quite simply a beautiful park to visit and enjoy. To us, this was a "see as much as you have time for" National Park, so we took advantage of itineraries on the National Park Website at: https://www.nps.gov/pefo/planyourvisit/itineraries.htm Plenty of places to pull over and enjoy the spectacular scenery but here's another must do ... walk the Blue Mesa and Giant Logs Trails. Best advice? DO NOT miss this spectacular National Park.

Amazing view of the Petrified Forest National Park. Visiting a National Park is a reality that can't be explained, you just need to get out and explore. Thank you God!

Go to the Blue Mesa for sure. It's so beautiful. The petrified trees are so awesome to see up close at the crystal forest. So much interesting history and a variety of things to explore here. It was my 49th national park and it's definitely in my top 5.

There are really 2 parts of the park. The south entrance is the Petrified Forest. The north entrance is the Painted Desert. One drive corrects both parts and takes about an hour. They have a sign that they may randomly search vehicles if someone is suspected of stealing petrified wood, as you exit. Beautiful views in the Painted Desert part of the park. Sadly, the weather was not cooperative when I was in the park. Winds were 45+mph with gusts to 60. Sand was blowing and painful. I was wearing a gaiter over my face, glasses and wearing a ball cap and it was still miserable with the sand stinging. I am told this is typical in the spring. I had planned to spend 2 days on hikes here. I spent about 2 hours and could not take much more and most of that was spent inside my Jeep.

Wow. I can't believe it's been 7 years but I'm ready to write a review update about scenic Petrified Forest National Park! It's kind of weird how when rereading my prior review from many years ago and now finally visiting here for the 2nd time...I feel like a much more improved park explorer and enthusiast. Hopefully this 2nd review will provide greater details for helping tourists enjoy their time here. Petrified Forest NP is located in Northeastern, Arizona. The main section to the park is the Painted Desert area and once you arrive here, make sure to stop in at the Painted Desert Visitor Center. Inside the VC, pick up a park pamphlet guide, buy any souvenirs you may need and of course have your Parks Passport stamped! Then from the VC...the primary activity for navigating around Petrified Forest is to drive the 28-mile park road. Starting out here in the Painted Desert section, there'll be plenty of roadside overlooks and vista points to stop and exit your car immersing yourself among the wonderfully colorful badlands terrain. I especially liked the overlook spot called Nizhoni Point...terrific for prime picture opportunities capturing what Petrified Forest is all about. About 2/3's along the drive through the park...my favorite spot and which I highly recommend is the Blue Mesa Trail with a simple 1-mile roundtrip walk. You'll be surrounded by purple, lavender and tan looking hills, as if you've disappeared into an alternate universe. Blue Mesa Trail is so cool and an ABSOLUTE MUST! I also suggest another roadside stop near the end of the park road called the Crystal Forest Trail. This is a casual stroll for 3/4's of a mile loop around some glossy petrified wood that really exhibits what makes the park so unique. Lastly, at the other end of Petrified Forest away from the Painted Desert, it's called the Rainbow Forest area. There is another Visitor Center located here as well, but not nearly as big as the primary one in the Painted Desert. There are a couple of hikes you can embark upon situated just behind the VC, though there aren't nearly as many worthwhile roadside overlooks to check out in the Rainbow Forest portion. Btw, it is a $25 entrance fee to the park, or you can make a onetime annual $80 payment for unlimited access to all the national parks around the country for the whole year. Overall, I really liked spending the day here for the 2nd time at Petrified Forest. That's all you really need for exploring is one full day. In fact, some people may only use 1/2 - 3/4's of the day sightseeing depending on how many overlooks they stop at and all the trails they walk upon. I'd rank Petrified Forest in the upper half echelon in terms of picturesque national parks out there. It's a wonderful stop for a daytrip with colorful settings and rugged badland landscapes. Though...it's not quite in the category of some of the more widely known parks with majestic mountainous sceneries. In the end, I was just grateful to be here regardless! Alright well, this is Petrified Forest National Park located about 50 miles west of the New Mexico border.

Absolutely love this national park!! *Note this is one of the most pet friendly national parks* You can take your dogs in most areas and all of the trails. There is so much to see here, it is an amazingly beautiful place. Apparently a few million years ago was a rainforest..so cool!! I feel like it is one of the forgotten national parks. It is pretty much in the middle of nowhere in north eastern Arizona near the New Mexico border and close to Gila National Forest. It was not crowded at all while we were there. I didn't see any off-road trails or back country camping but there is still plenty to do! Just take it slow when you come through. The colors and the landscape vary so much it will blow your mind. some times you feel like you are on the moon and others on the high plains. A must see!! I know I'll be back!

This National Park is on the smaller side, but is worth a visit. I packed a picnic lunch for the family and we spent about half a day here, taking our time stopping at all the sites and enjoying the beauty of the park. We started off on the north end and went to the Painted Desert Visitor Center. They limit how many people are in the visitor's center at a time. Their 18 minute video was available via QR code since the theater was closed due to COVID. There is also a Once you enter the park ($25 per vehicle), the ranger will reiterate not to take any petrified wood from the park. The two lane road then takes you to the Painted Desert where you can stop at various points to enjoy the views, as well as make a stop at the historic Painted Desert Inn (converted to a museum but currently closed - again because of COVID). There are a few places where you can stretch your legs and do a short hike to view the petrified wood, ancestral puebloan homes, and petroglyphs. The park has done a good job of making many of the sites wheelchair accessible. My favorite was the Crystal Forest (0.75 mile loop) where you can see a lot of the petrified logs up close and touch them. You can easily drive through and quickly see everything in a couple hours, but I would recommend allowing yourself half a day to really enjoy everything PFNP has to offer.

Fabulous geological park. Loved it all! So happy to see it. Took us about 3 hours and we entered the park at 8:00. Go to the restroom before you enter as there were only 2 as I recall.

Great park alongside I-40. We stopped here on the way west at around 11AM local time and it was PACKED. Since we weren't comfortable going into the park with that many people around we only took a photo by the National park sign but have been inside the park a few times. The welcome center has a courtyard with a lot of different types of petrified wood. It's free to visit the welcome center and adjoining courtyard. However, the real treat is the actual park which goes on for miles once you pay the entry free (~$10) past the welcome center. In addition to petrified wood there are even some petroglyphs which are pretty cool. If you have a couple of hours to spare and are driving through, I'd definitely recommend a stop at this national park.

Love this place! We started with the Painted Desert and moved into the Petrified Forest. We have an audio subscription from Just Ahead for National Parks that we play as we are driving. Gives us history and information about each stop before we arrive at them. The colors , the views and geology of the area are so fascinating. Visited All the stops along the way, petroglyphs, ancestral Puebloan homes from as early as 1250 CE., hiking trails, blue mesas, different petrified forest trails and view points. The Rainbow visitor center is interesting and worth a visit plus behind it are trails that have large petrified logs. This is a must visit park.

Petrified Forest National Park in Arizona is a gem! Easy access and small enough that you can go through it in a day. Nice walking trails and lookouts. One of the few National Parks that allow dogs on all their trails which was a big plus for us. Due to Covid, there were only a handful of people there which was amazing. We did the Blue Mesa trail and had it all to ourselves. Highly recommend!

INCREDIBLE! Driving 40 East through Arizona, took the longer route to drive through the national park and it was totally worth it. We stopped at Giant Logs .4 trail and saw some petrified logs, super cool to see Old Faithful. We stopped at a few vistas along the way, and the views were out of this world - especially for folks who hadn't seen Arizona before. $25 to drive through the park, pass lasts a week. Worth it even for a one way drive through.

I fell in love with this National Park. My main directive had been to see the Grand Canyon. Don't get me wrong, the viewing was spectacular, but something about the Painted Desert/Petrified Forest stole my heart. So many sensational views. We spent about 6 hours exploring the park, and that wasn't quite enough. We could have spent more time, but it was nearing closing. This is not just look at some stratification and a petrified tree and be done. Topography varies throughout the park, as do the colors. There are specific spots to stop, as well as spots to explore on your own. If starting in the north, the first couple turnouts have impressive views. The teepees are a quick stop, but beautiful. My biggest surprise was the blue mesa. Not a royal blue, as pictured in the planning guide/map. That may have been taken after a heavy rain. Colors were closer to periwinkle, cornflower blue and hints of maroon. Take the paved path down to the bottom of the mesas. The way the blue layers mix with the white ones is much like walking in the sky. It was a feeling unlike any I have experienced elsewhere. By far, my favorite spot in the park. I would love to hike the mesas again. If starting at the top, start at the visitor center, and pick up a free planning guide/map. They will also give you a free map when you pay to enter the park. There are plenty of signs. If on the road, one can't get lost. The guide helped us know what was coming up, and helped us decide if it was something we wanted to see or skip. Both the main map and planning guide has a lot of interesting historical information in them. The planning guide is much smaller, and therfore more manageable, especially when driving. While at the visitor centers, if traveling with children, make sure to pick up the Junior Ranger activity book. Children complete an age appropriate number of activities. Like bookends, there are visitor centers at both ends of the park. Children may turn in the completed book at either station. With driving required between stops, these books are perfect for keeping kids busy without the use of electronics. Once turned in, the child receives a Junior Ranger badge. The program is completely free. If traveling with a dog, as about the Bark Ranger program. They give dogs a treat and waste removal bag. Bark Ranger badges may be purchased. Check out the gift shops and visitor centers at both ends of the park. They are both surprisingly different. (Different experiences and merchandise.) One has the ability to see what archeological finds are currently being worked on. The other has a museum like exhibit about what dinosaurs once roamed the area. The gift shop at the north end has more Native American pottery. It is illegal to remove pieces of petrified wood from the park. This gift shop has pieces that may be purchased.

Awesome and beautiful national park the family and I stopped in on during our trek through Arizona down I 40 west. Very cool and unique as it's a 28 mike drive that has little "ramp exits" we're you get off fir different views. And some have waking trails and others you can go out and explore at your own risk I assume. My family isn't to brave so we strolled On some of the flatter areas. I know a lot of people make trips to the Grand Canyon. So if you pass this go ahead and stop by. We went ahead and grabbed a National Park season pass for $80 which will get you entrance into the Grand Canyon and I think over 3,000 other national parks. So if anything save yourself some time and a line at the Grand Canyon. Also for the cross country travelers headed towards the Grand Canyon as part of there itinerary I'd not only stop here but about an hour down the road in Winslow Az is a cool eagles tribute to the song "Take it Easy" with "standing on the corner" park. Fun roadside attraction also right off I40 that will allow you to stretch out your legs before heading another few hours to the Grand Canyon.

My wife and I camped at the Meteor Crater RV Park and since we were as close as we were, we drove to Petrified Forest National Park. Geeks unite! The park is incredibly clean and for $25, we were given full admission to the park. The entire park is incredibly clean. All of the staff was so friendly and knowledgeable! The facilities were all very clean and everyone was taking the necessary COVID-19 precautions which was nice to see, as well. The landscape is incredibly stark and minimalistic, but oh so beautiful. The vast array of colors on the petrified trees is absolutely breathtaking. The park is incredibly spaced out and does require a lot of driving if you want to see everything. Unfortunately, there was quite a bit of road construction going on inside the park which made for some slow-going. There are only a handful of hiking trails to take advantage of, but definitely worth doing! I am really glad we saw this national park. I doubt we'll come back again due to the lack of hiking trails, but I am so glad we came to see the sights! It truly is remarkable to see the petrified forest and am glad we could cross this one off our list! Highly recommended!

9/22 Petrified Forest National Park-An Awesome National Park. Park is easily accessible from I-40 or Hwy 180. Link to directions: https://www.nps.gov/pefo/planyourvisit/directions.htm Park does NOT take cash. If you are a vet or on current duty be prepared to prove it and you will get a National Park Pass good for one year, free admission for what costs $25 per car. We spent 4 hours wandering around checking out things. Plan to go back shortly and check out the Painted Desert at the north end of the park.

We spent a day in the Petrified Forest National Park. The park is open every day except December 25 and the hours varies slightly with the seasons. The park is about covers about 230 square miles and has park entrances off of Interstate 40, as well as, off AZ State Route 77 on US 180. The National Park system has a website for you to use to plan your visit to the park at https://www.nps.gov/pefo/planyourvisit/index.htm. It is worth checking out so you don't miss any beautiful places in the park. They have a Visitor's Center at exit #311 off I-40. It has visitor information, orientation, and backcountry permits, a cafe and gift shop and gas station. There is a short film with information about the park. There is also the Rainbow Forest Museum in one of many historic buildings in Rainbow Forest Complex. It is near the southern entrance to the park, off US-180 at SR 77. It has much of the same information, backcountry permits and movie as the Visitor's Center. The museum also has skeleton displays of the prehistoric animals that lived in the area. It also has a nice bookstore with books useful to the park. We bought The Roadside Geology of Arizona. It's a great book that gives you a geological description as you travel down the roads in that state. The map is very helpful in seeing all the areas of the park. There are so many scenic areas to see that the detailed map that they give you at the entrance is great for knowing where you are. Seeing the huge petrified trees was my favorite part. I highly recommend the Petrified Forest National Park. There is so much to see and do for all ages and activity level including 7 hiking trails, backcountry hiking and short little walks to see the views.

Beautiful!!! A must see if you are traveling through the area. Lots to see! Petroglyphs, mesas, petrified wood, agates, wild life!! Just Go!!

It's not an amazing national park but unique for sure. You don't need more than a day to explore everything it has to offer. Make sure to check out the Painted Desert, Crystalized Trees and the 100 ft log bridge.

We were WOWED beyond expectation!!! Our 13-year-old was excessively into this experience!! We had a BLAST, and we plan on returning when the weather is a bit cooler. It was humid, but it was okay because there was a sudden and huge thunderstorm that hit while we were there!! BONUS! I didn't know what to expect. It is about 45 minutes of driving through some very awesome options to pull over and enjoy the various and varying beauty!! The painted desert was amazing!! Everything was amazing!! I captured so many AMAZING and memorable photos!! I got some CRAZY cool photos!! We LOVED the store at the end (depending on which way you enter/leave)!! It was endless eye candy in the form of natural beauty for sale or just to enjoy, compliments of Mother Nature!!! We didn't plan on such an involved and engaging experience!!! We decided, due to the storm, that we would RETURN soon and do this AGAIN!!! We simply didn't allow enough time for this number of engaging options to enjoy this vast and amazing opportunity!! Heck YES to a return visit and spending HOURS enjoying it again!!

A day trip is sufficient for this National Park. It's mostly driving with stops along the way for mini hikes or to check out the vistas. Some cool things to see were the Painted forest, petroglyphs, Painted desert inn, and of course, I can't forget the petrified trees. So many colors! The Painted Desert Inn today is a museum. It doesn't function as lodging anymore (although that would be cool if it did!), and there isn't food there either. Glad I saw it, but no need to revisit.

This National Park far exceeded any expectations my husband and I had! It was unreal how the landscape was constantly changing throughout this park and the vibrant pink hues found in the Painted Desert portion was just beautiful. We took our time driving through the entire park and stopped at most points for short walks and picture taking; this took us about 3 hours total, although we very easily could have extended our exploration to 4 hours! Added bonuses were the ample restrooms throughout the park (great if you drink tons of water like me haha) and the Route 66 landmark they have within the park. Tips: - The Painted Desert Visitor Center has a GREAT gift shop for souvenirs as well as a cafe - The Rainbow Forest Museum next to the Giant Logs is the more educational visitors center with a smaller gift shop section - Highly recommend packing a lunch and snacks to bring with you! Once you're in the park, there is no food other than the cafe at the Painted Desert Visitor Center on the north end of the park

We couldn't have been happier to have stopped - even for just under two hours - to take a turbo tour and knock our first-time visit of Petrified Forest NP off our National Parks bucket list. Sadly, on our first drive through the area, the park was closed for Christmas Day:( This time it was open - but only through 5pm. We were told that at 5pm rangers begin corralling visitor's to either the North or South Park exits. Traveling from Albuquerque at around 3pm when we decided to squeeze in a visit, we were so, SO thankful for the time change which gained us an additional hour in the park. On our flyby north-to-south tour we did all that a friendly park staff, named Nancy, had encouraged us to do when we called the park on our way and asked for advice: 1. Pictures at Painted Desert Inn (though closed due to COVID) 2. Pictures of the rusty Studebekar by Old Route 66 3. Hike Blue Mesa Trail 4. Check out either Crystal Forest or The Giants Logs behind Rainbow Forest Museum and Visitor's Center Blue Mesa Trail, Crystal Forest, and The Giant Logs are my top three recommendations to anyone visiting the park in a rush. I hated rushing through such a gorgeous landscape but also wouldn't trade that experience - so glad I got to see it!! Even briefly! Here's hoping for firsts and future returns to anyone reading this review!

This place is so unique. It was not crowded when I went, but definitely windy and cold. We did the easy, short trails. Definitely visit blue mesa and crystal forest and stop by tepee (sp?). As far as time goes, u HAVE to be in your car ready to leave the park at 1700. The park rangers who greeted us were very nice.