Petrified Forest National Park is one of the few national parks that can easily be visited in one day. Its location right off I-40 in northern Arizona makes it perfect for those looking to break up the monotony of a long road trip. With one day in Petrified Forest National Park, you can easily see what the park is best known for and get in a couple of hikes.
And, honestly, you don’t even need a full day to see Petrified Forest National Park. With as little as a couple of hours, you can see most of the highlights and be wowed by the scenery. Half a day allows you to do a little hiking. A full day gives you more time to hike some longer trails.
But, first, you may be wondering if Petrified Forest is even worth visiting. The answer is yes, definitely!

As you might guess from the park’s name, it contains one of the largest concentrations of petrified wood (essentially, fossilized wood) anywhere in the world. In fact, the park is one of the best places to explore a variety of plant and animal fossils from the Late Triassic period. Most of the animal fossils are reptiles and early dinosaurs.
Petrified Forest National Park is also home to a breathtaking painted desert with layers of colorful rock. Finally, it also has a rich history as a home for Native Americans and, more recently, a stop along the famed US Route 66.
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How to Visit Petrified Forest National Park
It’s not often that we call a National Park a “drive-through” destination. But Petrified Forest National Park is perfect for anyone looking just to drive through. While it is a fairly remote park with few nearby lodging options, it’s easy to visit as a detour when driving east or west on I-40.
We have visited Petrified Forest National Park two times. Both times were just relatively short detours as we drove west along I-40.
Our first visit in 2017 was a speedy drive through the park while towing our camper. We also had our cat, Alee, with us. That made it extremely difficult to do anything more than snap a few pictures from the roadside. Still, even in just an hour or two, we got a good overview of the park. (And parking with the trailer was relatively easy.)
Of course, being National Park geeks, we were itching for a more complete visit. So, in 2024, we returned to Petrified Forest National Park on our way to Southern California.
This time, we did not have the camper (and, sadly, Alee is no longer with us). So we scheduled about half a day for the park as we drove from Albuquerque, NM to Flagstaff, AZ.
In all, we spent about five hours in the park. In that time, we were able to stop at both visitor centers, many pullouts and do a couple of short hikes.
Petrified Forest National Park Basic Information
The main road through Petrified Forest National Park runs from I-40 southwest to US 180. Highway 180 intersects I-40 about 27 miles west of the northeastern park entrance. This makes the park easy to visit as a 47-mile detour off I-40.
Additionally, there is a visitor center at both ends of the scenic drive (Main Park Road), meaning it’s easy to drive through in whichever direction is most convenient for you.
Due to the fragile nature of the park resources, Petrified Forest National Park is only open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. It is gated and completely inaccessible outside those hours. Many National Parks are open 24 hours a day, so this is important to consider when planning your visit.
Note: Staffing and holidays can affect these hours, so check the park’s website for official days and times. Additionally, Arizona does not observe Daylight Saving Time. Keep this in mind if you are traveling from another state during this time.
There are limited resources inside the park, but both entrance stations have gift shops that sell souvenirs and basic food and drinks.
Must-See Sights at Petrified Forest National Park
Both of our visits have been while driving west along I-40, so we entered the park at the northeast entrance (Exit 311). Honestly, I think this is the best way to see the park because it saves the best stuff for the end. My outline below follows this direction. You can easily reverse the order if you are driving east, though.
Painted Desert Visitor Center
Before passing through the entrance station, stop at the Painted Desert Visitor Center. This is a good place to use the restroom, pick up a magnet or other souvenir and grab any drinks or snacks you might need. We also recommend checking in with a ranger on current conditions or alerts, especially if you plan to do any hiking.
At the entrance fee station ($25/vehicle), be sure to get a park brochure and newspaper. The newspaper will also alert you to any closures and provide information on hiking trails and other important park news.
Tiponi Point, Tataypi Point and Tawa Point
Within the first few miles of the drive, you’ll find three pullouts with scenic views of the Painted Desert. Stop at any or all of these and take in the landscape of badlands stretching out before you. Seriously, the views don’t get old and are slightly different at each pullout, so don’t be shy about stopping often.
If you have extra time and want to stretch your legs, the Tawa Trail runs one mile between the Visitor Center and Tawa Point. You can hike the trail from either Tawa Point or the Painted Desert Visitor Center (two miles round trip).
Painted Desert Inn
The next stop is the historic Painted Desert Inn, which once welcomed travelers along Route 66. Today, it serves as a small museum and gift shop. It also has a small snack bar and flush toilets.
Inside, you’ll find a few exhibits on the Native Americans who called this land home long before Europeans pushed them out. Behind the inn, a short, accessible trail (1-2 minute walk) takes you to Kachina Point, which offers a panoramic view of the red part of the Painted Desert.
Scenic Overlooks
Continuing south, a series of pullouts and parking areas offer various views of the desert and sweeping landscape. Again, the views are a little different with each turn, so stop at as many or as few as time and interest allow.
In particular, a small turnout at Pintado Point rises a bit off the desert floor and offers a panoramic view of the varied landscape and the road running through it.
1932 Studebaker
Be sure to stop at the old rusty Studebaker, just before the road passes over I-40. This marks the historic Route 66, which passed through the park before being replaced by the interstate.
It’s historic, scenic and well worth your time to stop and snap a few photos.
Puerco Pueblo
Your next stop is Puerco Pueblo. Here, a short trail takes you through an ancestral Puebloan community, which was occupied more than 600 years ago. Be sure to check out the exhibits along the way.
Also, keep your eyes peeled for a few petroglyphs on the rocks near the east end of the loop.
Blue Mesa Scenic Road
Be sure to turn off to the east to drive the Blue Mesa Scenic Road. Several pullouts provide views of the colorful badlands and hoodoos. This is where you will start seeing petrified logs, as well.
We highly recommend taking 30-45 minutes to walk the Blue Mesa Trail, a one-mile loop through the bentonite clay hills. The trail starts with a steep descent, which means it’ll be a tough climb out at the end. Otherwise, it’s an easy loop that provides breathtaking close-up views of the aptly named Blue Mesa.
If you simply don’t have the time or physically can’t handle the steepness of the trail, there are a few good views from pullouts along the road.
Seeing the petrified logs nestled against the blue layers of the badlands really is spectacular.
Agate Bridge
At Agate Bridge, a short walk from the parking lot provides views of a 110-foot petrified log, which is now a natural bridge.
The National Park Service has reinforced the log with concrete to extend its “life” but it’s still an impressive sight. Features like this remind us just how powerful water and wind can be, especially in the desert.
Rainbow Forest Museum and Visitor Center and Giant Logs Trail
Finally, make one last stop at the southwestern end of the park at the Rainbow Forest Museum Visitor Center.
Inside the visitor center, a few exhibits focus on the fossils found within the park and the early reptiles that once roamed this area.
Behind the visitor center, the Giant Logs Trail loops through a concentrated field of petrified logs. As you might guess from its name, this is where you’ll find some of the biggest pieces of petrified logs in the park.
During our visit in December 2024, the park film could be viewed at the gift shop across the street from the visitor center.
Where to Stay Near Petrified Forest National Park
As mentioned previously, there is no lodging inside the park. The closest lodging options are a couple of small RV Parks just outside the southwestern entrance station or in the nearby small town of Holbrook, AZ.
Both the Crystal Forest Museum & Gift Shop RV Park and Petrified Forest Gifts & RV Park offer little more than a gravel parking lot with electric hookups for RVs. But if you have an RV, they are convenient to the park.
Holbrook is about 20 miles north of the Rainbow Forest Museum and 25 miles west of the Painted Desert Visitor Center. The newest and highest-rated hotel is the La Quinta Inn & Suites. We haven’t stayed there, but it looks great. There are a few other local and chain hotels in Holbrook.
You’ll also find a couple of full-service campgrounds in Holbrook. In our book, USA RV Adventures, we recommend OK RV Park or Holbrook/Petrified Forest KOA Journey.
- Sinclair, Bonnie (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 560 Pages – 02/28/2023 (Publication Date) – Moon Travel (Publisher)
West of the park, the town of Winslow (best known from the Eagles’ hit “Take it Easy”) has a few hotels and campgrounds. You can also visit Standin’ on The Corner Park and pose next to a red flatbed Ford.
In 2017, we camped at Meteor Crater RV Park (Meteor Crater is another great stop along I-40) and found it to be comfortable and convenient to the area. Of course, you’ll find tons of hotel and campground options in Flagstaff, as well.
Read more about visiting Meteor Crater.
If you are traveling East on I-40, the closest small towns are Gallup and Grants in New Mexico. Both have limited (but decent) options for hotels. You’ll find many more options for hotels and campgrounds in Albuquerque.
Final Thoughts on Visiting Petrified Forest National Park
Even if you don’t have time to do much, Petrified Forest National Park is well worth a visit. In fact, we think it’s the perfect stop to break up a long (or short) road trip along I-40.
You can see the majority of the highlights with several quick stops along the main park road. A couple of short hikes take you through the Painted Desert, historical landmarks and petrified logs that the park is best known for.
If you have a full day, we encourage you to find a longer hike such as Long Logs and Agate House (2.6 mi), Deadwash Overlook (4 mi) or Red Basin Clam Beds (8.5 mi).
Whether you are a national park nut, like us, or just want to find something interesting to break up your drive, we highly recommend a day trip to Petrified Forest National Park.
One day in the park is plenty and you’ll easily be wowed by the landscape and history of the area.
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