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.
Alerts
- InformationThe Painted Desert Oasis Gift Shop, Gas Station and Restaurant are Open!
The Painted Desert Oasis gift shop, gas station and restaurant located at the north entrance of the park are open, and restrooms are available during construction. Visitor center operations are currently located at the Painted Desert Inn, two miles past the entrance station.
- InformationPark Headquarters Phones are Down
Phones at park headquarters are currently down. Please call the visitor center at Painted Desert Inn 928-235-2467 or the Visitor Services office 928-235-2391 between 8 am and 5 pm. You can also send us an email at [email protected].
Fees & passes
| Type | Cost | |
|---|---|---|
| Private VehicleAdmits one private, non-commercial vehicle (15-passenger capacity or less) and all occupants. Valid for 7 days. | $25 | |
| Per PersonAdmits one individual with no motor vehicle (bicyclist, hiker, pedestrian). Youth 15 and under are admitted free of charge. Valid for 7 days. | $15 | |
| MotorcycleValid for 7 days. Admits up to 2 private, non-commercial motorcycles with up to 4 total passengers. | $20 | |
| Non-commercial GroupsCapacity 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. | $15 | |
| Commercial tours · by vehicle capacity | ||
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| VanCapacity 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 | |
| Mini-busCapacity 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 | |
| Motor CoachCapacity 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 | |
| Passes | ||
| Annual Entrance - ParkCome 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 | |
Hours
| Park Road Hours | Daily · 8:00AM - 5:00PM |
Hours by date. Standard hours apply on every date not listed.
| Dates | Hours |
|---|---|
| Standard hoursNow | 8:00AM - 5:00PM |
| Nov 26, 2026Park Closed Thanksgiving. | Closed |
| Dec 25, 2026Park Closed Christmas. | Closed |
When to go
June draws the most visits here and February the fewest, averaged over 2021 to 2025.
Visitor centers
- Painted Desert Visitor Center ↗Passport stamp
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.
- Rainbow Forest Museum ↗Passport stamp
Rainbow Forest Museum provides exhibits of petrified wood, fossils, and displays of prehistoric animals as well as information, book sales, and restrooms.
- Painted Desert Inn ↗Passport stamp
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.
Explore
Things to do
- 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.
Opens on the Park Service site - 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!
Opens on the Park Service site - Collect Your Cancellation Stamps2-10 Minutes
Collect your cancellation stamp!
Opens on the Park Service site - Walk Long Logs Trail60-120 Minutes
Explore this ancient log jam at the base of purple and gray badlands along a paved half-mile loop.
Opens on the Park Service site - Walk the Tawa Trail30 Minutes
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.
Opens on the Park Service site - Enjoy Horseback Riding
Bring your own horse and take a ride into the backcountry.
Opens on the Park Service site
Show all 12Hide
- Walk the Painted Desert Rim Trail20-120 Minutes
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.
Opens on the Park Service site - Walk Puerco Pueblo Trail10-60 Minutes
The 3/4 -mile paved Puerco Pueblo Trail features the remnants of a hundred room masonry pueblo.
Opens on the Park Service site - Walk Crystal Forest Trail20-120 Minutes
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.
Opens on the Park Service site - Walk Blue Mesa Trail30-120 Minutes
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.
Opens on the Park Service site - Explore at the Paleo Exhibits at Rainbow Forest Museum30-60 Minutes
Explore the paleontology exhibits at Rainbow Forest Museum.
Opens on the Park Service site - 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.
Opens on the Park Service site
Films
National Park Service productions, public domain.
Webcams
Camera images load live from the National Park Service and partner agencies
Map
Interactive map by the National Park Service
Historic landmarks nearby
Public land nearby
Distances are approximate. Wilderness Atlas publishes a center point and an acreage for each area rather than a boundary, so each area is treated here as a circle of the same size and the figure is the gap to that circle.
Guidebooks for Petrified Forest National Park and Arizona's national parks
We earn a small commission if you buy through these links. It does not change what we list.
Local history books for Petrified Forest National Park
Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject.
Reference
Wildlife
Full checklist: 203 birds, 44 mammalsHide
Raptors & owlsAmerican Kestrel · Bald Eagle · Burrowing Owl · Cooper's Hawk · Ferruginous Hawk · Golden Eagle · Great Horned Owl · Hen Harrier · Long-eared Owl · Merlin · Osprey · Prairie Falcon · Red-tailed Hawk · Sharp-shinned Hawk · Short-eared Owl · Swainson's Hawk · Turkey Vulture · western screech-owl
Waterfowl & wadersAmerican Bittern · American Coot · American White Pelican · American Wigeon · Black-crowned Night Heron · Black-necked Grebe · Blue-winged Teal · Brown Pelican · Bufflehead · Canada Goose · Cinnamon Teal · Common Teal · Great Blue Heron · Green Heron · Lesser Scaup · Northern Pintail · Pied-billed Grebe · Ring-necked Duck · Ruddy Duck · Snowy Egret · Virginia Rail · Western Grebe · great egret · least grebe · white-faced ibis
Shorebirds & seabirdsAmerican Avocet · Baird's Sandpiper · European Herring Gull · Franklin's Gull · Greater Yellowlegs · Gull-billed Tern · Killdeer · Least Sandpiper · Lesser Yellowlegs · Long-billed Curlew · Mountain Plover · Ring-billed Gull · Solitary Sandpiper · Upland Sandpiper · Western Sandpiper · Willet · Wilson's Phalarope
Gamebirds & dovesInca Dove · Mourning Dove · Scaled Quail
WoodpeckersAcorn Woodpecker · Downy Woodpecker · Hairy Woodpecker · Ladder-backed Woodpecker · Lewis' Woodpecker · Northern Flicker · Red-naped Sapsucker · Williamson's Sapsucker
Hummingbirds & swiftsAllen's Hummingbird · Anna's Hummingbird · Broad-tailed Hummingbird · Calliope Hummingbird · Rufous Hummingbird · Vaux's Swift · White-throated Swift
Also on the checklistAmerican Bushtit · American Cliff Swallow · American Crow · American Dusky Flycatcher · American Goldfinch · American Pipit · American Redstart · American Robin · American Tree Sparrow · Ash-throated Flycatcher · Baird's Sparrow · Barn Swallow · Belted Kingfisher · Bendire's Thrasher · Bewick's Wren · Black Phoebe · Black-and-white Warbler · Black-headed Grosbeak · Black-tailed Gnatcatcher · Black-throated Sparrow · Blue-gray Gnatcatcher · Bohemian Waxwing · Brewer's Blackbird · Brewer's Sparrow · Brown Thrasher · Brown-headed Cowbird · Bullock's Oriole · Cassin's Finch · Cassin's Kingbird · Cassin's Sparrow · Cedar Waxwing · Chestnut-collared Longspur · Chipping Sparrow · Clark's Nutcracker · Common Nighthawk · Common Poorwill · Common Starling · Common Yellowthroat · Cordilleran Flycatcher · Curve-billed Thrasher · Dark-eyed Junco · Eastern Meadowlark · Eurasian Whimbrel · Evening Grosbeak · Fox Sparrow · Golden-crowned Kinglet · Gray Catbird · Great-tailed Grackle · Greater Roadrunner · Green-tailed Towhee · Hammond's Flycatcher · Hepatic Tanager · Hermit Thrush · Horned Lark · House Finch · House Sparrow · House Wren · Hutton's Vireo · Indigo Bunting · Juniper Titmouse · Lark Bunting · Lark Sparrow · Lazuli Bunting · Lesser Goldfinch · Lincoln's Sparrow · Loggerhead Shrike · Mallard · Marsh Wren · Mountain Bluebird · Mountain Chickadee · Northern Beardless Tyrannulet · Northern Mockingbird · Northern Raven · Northern Rough-winged Swallow · Northern Shoveler · Olive-sided Flycatcher · Painted Bunting · Phainopepla · Pine Siskin · Pinyon Jay · Purple Martin · Pygmy Nuthatch · Pyrrhuloxia · Red Crossbill · Red-breasted Nuthatch · Red-faced Warbler · Red-winged Blackbird · Rock Wren · Rose-breasted Grosbeak · Roughleg · Ruby-crowned Kinglet · Rufous-crowned Sparrow · Sage Sparrow · Sage Thrasher · Sand Martin · Savannah Sparrow · Say's Phoebe · Scarlet Flycatcher · Scarlet Tanager · Scott's Oriole · Song Sparrow · Sora · Steller's Jay · Summer Tanager · Swainson's Thrush · Townsend's Solitaire · Tree Swallow · Vesper Sparrow · Violet-green Swallow · Warbling Vireo · Western Bluebird · Western Kingbird · Western Meadowlark · Western Tanager · Western Wood Pewee · White-breasted Nuthatch · White-crowned Sparrow · White-throated Sparrow · Yellow-breasted Chat · Yellow-headed Blackbird · brown creeper · canyon towhee · plumbeus vireo · spotted towhee · western scrub-jay
Small mammalsAudubon's Cottontail · Black-tailed Jack Rabbit · Botta's Pocket Gopher · Brush Deermouse · Bushy-tailed Woodrat · Canyon Deermouse · Crawford's Gray Shrew · Deer Mouse · Gunnison's Prairie Dog · Northern Grasshopper Mouse · Ord's Kangaroo Rat · Piñon Deermouse · Plains Pocket Mouse · Silky Pocket Mouse · Spotted Ground Squirrel · Western Harvest Mouse · White-footed Deermouse · White-tailed Antelope Squirrel · White-throated Woodrat · common porcupine
PredatorsAmerican Badger · American Black Bear · Bobcat · Common Gray Fox · Coyote · Cross Fox · Desert Fox · Long-tailed Weasel · Striped Skunk · Western Spotted Skunk
Hoofed mammalsMule Deer · Pronghorn · elk
BatsBig Brown Bat · Black Bat · California Myotis · Fringed Myotis · Long-legged Myotis · Pallid Bat · Small-footed Myotis · Western Pipistrelle · Yuma Myotis · mule-eared bat
Also on the checklistCatamount
Activities
Activity guides for this park Birdwatching in the national parks · Camping in the national parks · Hiking in the national parks · Horseback riding in the national parks · Stargazing in the national parks · Wildlife watching in the national parks
All 32 activitiesHide
Weather & climate
Petrified Forest National Park is a semi-arid grassland. Temperatures range from above 100° F (38° C) to well below freezing. About 10 inches (25.4 cm) of moisture comes during infrequent snow in the winter and often dramatic summer thunder-storms. Animals and plants are adapted to extremes in temperature and moisture. You should be ready too. Check out the forecast before you arrive and plan accordingly.
Questions people ask
How much does it cost to enter Petrified Forest?
Entrance is $25 per private vehicle, $20 per motorcycle, and $15 per person on foot or bike. Admits one private, non-commercial vehicle (15-passenger capacity or less) and all occupants.
Source: National Park Service
Which passes work at Petrified Forest?
The $80 America the Beautiful pass covers the entrance fee here, and a Petrified Forest-only annual pass is $45.
Source: Is the pass worth it
Can I pay the entrance fee in cash?
No. Petrified Forest takes cards only at the entrance.
Source: National Park Service
When is entrance to Petrified Forest free?
Next on October 27, Theodore Roosevelt's birthday. 2 fee-free days are left this year, for US residents only.
Source: Free entrance days
Do I need a reservation to enter Petrified Forest?
No. There is no timed-entry or entrance reservation at Petrified Forest. Camping and some tours have their own reservations.
Source: National Park Service
What are the hours at Petrified Forest?
Standard hours are 8:00AM - 5:00PM, every day. Dated exceptions are listed under Hours.
Source: National Park Service
Can I camp in Petrified Forest?
The Park Service lists no campgrounds inside Petrified Forest.
Source: National Park Service
Is anything closed at Petrified Forest right now?
2 active alerts as of October 14, 2026: The Painted Desert Oasis Gift Shop, Gas Station and Restaurant are Open!; Park Headquarters Phones are Down.
Source: Alerts
How busy is Petrified Forest?
315,951 recreation visits in 2025, number 146 of 387 units that report visitation.
Source: Most visited parks
Is there cell service at Petrified Forest?
At the park's reference point, FCC coverage maps show AT&T 5G. No reported coverage for Verizon and T-Mobile. Coverage inside the park varies by location.
Source: FCC Broadband Map
Is Petrified Forest good for stargazing?
Yes. Petrified Forest is a certified International Dark Sky Park.
Source: Dark sky parks
When was Petrified Forest established?
1962. It covers about 147 square miles.
Source: Wikipedia
Follow this park
- Alerts feed (RSS)
- Every active Park Service alert for this unit, one item each, rebuilt with the nightly data refresh.
- Add dates to your calendar (.ics file)
- Fee-free entrance days that apply here and each published hours exception, as all-day events.
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