About 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.
Plan a Visit
Core visitor information on this page is sourced from the National Park Service. NPD proximity sections use NPS reference coordinates and straight-line distance. Local source bundle updated Sep 27, 2026. View the official NPS page.
Weather & Conditions
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.…
NPS Reference Location
Park state / territory membership: Arizona. This map uses the National Park Service reference coordinate. It may represent an administrative or reference point rather than a park entrance, trailhead, visitor center, or the nearest access point. Use the official NPS directions below when planning travel.
Entrance Fees
Admits one private, non-commercial vehicle (15-passenger capacity or less) and all occupants. Valid for 7 days.
Admits one individual with no motor vehicle (bicyclist, hiker, pedestrian). Youth 15 and under are admitted free of charge. Valid for 7 days.
Valid for 7 days. Admits up to 2 private, non-commercial motorcycles with up to 4 total passengers.
$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 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Operating Hours
Park Road hours of operation may change due to weather or safety issues. Closed Thanksgiving and Christmas.
Activities
Current Alerts
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.
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 pefo_information@nps.gov.
Getting There
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.
View Official DirectionsContact & Address
The NPS-listed address may be an administrative office, visitor center, mailing/contact location, or other park facility rather than a park entrance.
Entrance Passes
Come 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.
Topics & Themes
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…
Go Bicycling
Bicycle—including ebikes—use is permitted on paved park roads and parking areas open to the public as well as some areas…
Collect Your Cancellation Stamps
Collect your cancellation stamp!
Walk Long Logs Trail
Explore this ancient log jam at the base of purple and gray badlands along a paved half-mile loop.
Walk the Tawa Trail
Enjoy the tranquility of the grassland as the paved trail leads you to scenic Tawa Point. The 1.2-mile one way…
Enjoy Horseback Riding
Bring your own horse and take a ride into the backcountry.
More Things to Do
Additional activities and experiences from the National Park Service.
Walk the Painted Desert Rim Trail
This unpaved trail winds 1-mile round trip through the rim woodland, a place for chance encounters of many species of plants and…
Walk Puerco Pueblo Trail
The 3/4 -mile paved Puerco Pueblo Trail features the remnants of a hundred room masonry pueblo.
Walk Crystal Forest Trail
Walk Crystal Forest Trail for one of the best opportunities to experience the petrified wood deposits as it loops through rolling gray…
Walk Blue Mesa Trail
This 1-mile alternately paved and gravel trail loop offers the unique experience of hiking among banded badland hills of bentonite clay as…
Explore at the Paleo Exhibits at Rainbow Forest Museum
Explore the paleontology exhibits at Rainbow Forest Museum.
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…
Go Geocaching
Go geocaching. There are multiple caches in the park including traditional and virtual.
Watch Wildlife
Watching wildlife is a seasonal activity, but just in that the species to watch change, particularly in birdwatching.
Take a Self-Guided Tour of Giant Logs
Take a self-guided tour of Giant Logs, one of the highest concentration of large, colorful petrified logs.
Visitor Centers
Rainbow Forest Museum
Rainbow Forest Museum provides exhibits of petrified wood, fossils, and displays of prehistoric animals as well as information, book sales, and restrooms.
Painted Desert Visitor Center
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…
Painted Desert Inn
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…
Nearby National Park Service Sites
These sites are ordered by straight-line distance between NPS reference coordinates. This is useful for comparison, but it is not road mileage. Trails, parkways, rivers, and distributed units may extend far from their reference point.
Nearby Cities for Trip Planning
These cities are ordered by straight-line distance from the NPS reference coordinate. They are comparison starting points, not official park gateways or road-distance estimates. Trails and other distributed units may extend far beyond this reference point.
🗺️ Guided Tours & Experiences
Discover Petrified Forest National Park with expert-led tours
We earn a commission if you make a purchase, at no additional cost to you.
🏨 Search Lodging for Petrified Forest National Park
Review lodging results matching this park or site name
We earn a commission if you make a purchase, at no additional cost to you.