Things to do in Petrified Forest National Park
A high-desert Arizona park of Triassic petrified wood, Painted Desert badlands, puebloan archaeology, fossils, prairie grassland, and historic Route 66 traces.
Best months: March, April, October, November
What is worth your time in Petrified Forest National Park
Crystal Forest TrailDo not miss
This paved loop passes one of the easiest and densest displays of colorful petrified logs.
Hike · 1 hr5
Blue Mesa TrailDo not miss
The loop descends into blue, purple, and gray badlands with petrified wood scattered across one of the most surreal landscapes in the park.
Hike · 1.5 hr4.9
Painted Desert Rim TrailDo not miss
The rim walk links overlooks with sweeping views of red badlands and Painted Desert color.
Hike · 1.1 hr4.9
Giant Logs TrailDo not miss
This short loop behind Rainbow Forest Museum showcases some of the largest and most colorful petrified logs in the park.
Hike · 45 min4.8
Long Logs Trail
This longer walk reaches one of the richest concentrations of long petrified logs in the park, away from the busiest stops.
Hike · 2 hr5
Blue Forest Trail
This unpaved badlands route gives adventurous hikers a quieter Blue Mesa-style landscape with expansive views.
Hike · 2.3 hr4.9
Jasper Forest Overlook
The overlook reveals a broad former log-field landscape and the scale of petrified wood deposits.
Viewpoint · 23 min4.8
Painted Desert Wilderness
The wilderness area allows permitted backpackers to experience Painted Desert solitude beyond the overlooks.
Other · 10 hr4.8
Puerco Pueblo
The short loop interprets an ancestral pueblo and nearby petroglyphs along the Puerco River corridor.
Hike · 45 min4.8
Historic Route 66 Alignment
Weathered telephone poles mark the only National Park Service unit preserving a segment of Historic Route 66.
Viewpoint · 23 min4.7
Newspaper Rock
The overlook uses spotting scopes to view hundreds of ancestral petroglyphs on dark boulders below.
Viewpoint · 33 min4.7
Painted Desert Inn
The historic inn combines architecture, murals, Route 66 era history, and one of the best rim settings in the park.
Ranger Program · 45 min4.7
Rainbow Forest Museum
The museum gives the best indoor context for fossils, Triassic ecosystems, petrified wood, and park protection.
Ranger Program · 45 min4.7
Agate House Trail
The trail leads to a reconstructed pueblo built from petrified wood, pairing geology and human history.
Hike · 2 hr
And 1 more, which the planner picks between based on your dates, pace and what you are into.
Worth knowing
- Petrified Forest is famous for brilliantly colored petrified logs, Blue Mesa, Crystal Forest, the Painted Desert, Newspaper Rock, Puerco Pueblo, and the only National Park Service section of Historic Route 66.