Sunlit Painted Desert hills of the Petrified Forest National Wilderness Area

Petrified Forest National Park

National Park · Arizona

NPS Photo

📍 StateArizona
🏛️ TypeNational Park
🎟️ Entry$25
🏃 Activities37
Official NPS Website →
Petrified Forest National Park

National park in Arizona, United States

Petrified Forest National Park is a national park of the United States in Navajo and Apache counties in northeastern Arizona. Named for its large deposits of petrified wood, the park covers about 346 square miles, encompassing semi-desert shrub steppe as well as highly eroded and colorful badlands. The park's headquarters is about 26 miles (42 km) east of Holbrook along Interstate 40 (I-40), which parallels the BNSF Railway's Southern Transcon, the Puerco River, and historic U.S. Route 66, all crossing the park roughly east–west. The site, the northern part of which extends into the Painted Desert, was declared a national monument in 1906 and a national park in 1962. The park received 644,922 recreational visitors in 2018.

WikipediaWikidataSource: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA)

About Petrified Forest National Park

Park Hours: 8am to 5pm, MST. Don't forget that Arizona does not observe Daylight Savings. Petrified Forest is best known for its Triassic fossils. It's like having two parks in one, an ecosystem over 200 million years old with plants and animals now represented in the surreal landscape of the Painted Desert. There is also a living park with its own denizens adapted to a demanding environment.

Park Photos

Sunlit Painted Desert hills of the Petrified Forest National Wilderness Area
Sunset lights up the Painted Desert Inn National Historic Landmark west side.
Sunlight highlights the colorful petrified wood of Agate House
Masonry wall foundations are all that are left of a hundred room pueblo
Two visitors walk the Blue Mesa Trail between blue, purple, and grey badlands.
many petrified logs lay on the ground and on eroded pedestals of clay

Activities

Operating Hours

Park Road Hours

Park Road hours of operation may change due to weather or safety issues. Closed Thanksgiving and Christmas.

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8:00AM - 5:00PM8:00AM - 5:00PM8:00AM - 5:00PM8:00AM - 5:00PM8:00AM - 5:00PM8:00AM - 5:00PM8:00AM - 5:00PM

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does it cost to enter Petrified Forest National Park?

Entrance - Private Vehicle: $25.00. Admits one private, non-commercial vehicle (15-passenger capacity or less) and all occupants. Valid for 7 days. Entrance - Per Person: $15.00. Admits one individual with no motor vehicle (bicyclist, hiker, pedestrian). Youth 15 and under are admitted free of charge. Valid for 7 days. Entrance - Motorcycle: $20.00. Valid for 7 days. Admits up to 2 private, non-commercial motorcycles with up to 4 total passengers. Commercial Entrance - Sedan: $25.00. $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. Commercial Entrance - Per Person: $10.00. $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. Commercial Entrance - Van: $50.00. Capacity 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. Commercial Entrance - Mini-bus: $60.00. Capacity 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. Commercial Entrance - Motor Coach: $150.00. Capacity 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. Entrance - Non-commercial Groups: $15.00. Capacity 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. Fees are based on the capacity of the vehicle, not the number of passengers on board, and are valid for 7 days.

What are the best activities at Petrified Forest National Park?

Popular activities at Petrified Forest National Park include: Arts and Culture, Cultural Demonstrations, Auto and ATV, Scenic Driving, Astronomy, Stargazing, Biking, Road Biking.

What is the weather like at Petrified Forest National Park?

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.

How do I get to Petrified Forest National Park?

Petrified Forest stretches north/south between I-40 and Hwy 180. There are two entrances into the park.*** ***WESTBOUND I-40***Travelers should take Exit 311, drive 28 miles through the park to Hwy 180 at the south end. Travel 19 miles to return to I-40 via Holbrook.*** ***EASTBOUND I-40***Travelers should take Exit 285 into Holbrook then travel 19 miles on Hwy 180 to the park's south entrance. Drive 28 miles north through the park to return to I-40.

Entrance Fees

Entrance - Private Vehicle$25

Admits one private, non-commercial vehicle (15-passenger capacity or less) and all occupants. Valid for 7 days.

Entrance - Per Person$15

Admits one individual with no motor vehicle (bicyclist, hiker, pedestrian). Youth 15 and under are admitted free of charge. Valid for 7 days.

Entrance - Motorcycle$20

Valid for 7 days. Admits up to 2 private, non-commercial motorcycles with up to 4 total passengers.

Commercial Entrance - Sedan$25

$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.

Commercial Entrance - Per Person$10

$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.

Commercial Entrance - Van$50

Capacity 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.

Commercial Entrance - Mini-bus$60

Capacity 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.

Commercial Entrance - Motor Coach$150

Capacity 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.

Entrance - Non-commercial Groups$15

Capacity 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. Fees are based on the capacity of the vehicle, not the number of passengers on board, and are valid for 7 days.

Weather

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.

Directions

Petrified Forest stretches north/south between I-40 and Hwy 180. There are two entrances into the park.*** ***WESTBOUND I-40***Travelers should take Exit 311, drive 28 miles through the park to Hwy 180 at the south end. Travel 19 miles to return to I-40 via Holbrook.*** ***EASTBOUND I-40***Travelers should take Exit 285 into Holbrook then travel 19 miles on Hwy 180 to the park's south entrance. Drive 28 miles north through the park to return to I-40.

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Location

State(s)
Coordinates34.9839, -109.7878

Official Resources

NPS Official Website