Plan your visit

Petrified Forest National Park Trip Planner

Tell us how long you have, who's along, and the season. We'll group it by region so you drive less and see more.

How long
Who's along
Season

Day 1 Rainbow Forest (south / US-180) + Painted Desert (north / I-40)

  1. Paved Blue Mesa trail descending between blue and gray Chinle Formation badland hills, Petrified Forest National Park.

    Blue Mesa Trail

    Rainbow Forest (south / US-180) · 1 hr · moderate · 1 mi

    A one-mile loop that drops off the scenic spur into blue-gray badlands littered with petrified wood — the most striking short walk in the park. A steady climb back out.

  2. Low sunlight over banded badlands at sunset from a Painted Desert rim overlook, Petrified Forest National Park.

    Painted Desert overlooks

    Painted Desert (north / I-40) · 45 min · easy pace

    A string of rim viewpoints along the north loop road — Tiponi, Tawa, Kachina, Pintado, and more — over banded badlands that shift color through the day. The one-mile Painted Desert Rim Trail links two of them.

  3. Colorful chunks of quartz-filled petrified wood scattered across the ground at Crystal Forest, Petrified Forest National Park.

    Crystal Forest

    Rainbow Forest (south / US-180) · 45 min · easy · 0.75 mi

    A paved three-quarter-mile loop through one of the densest concentrations of petrified wood in the park, the logs shot through with quartz and amethyst crystal. Easy and stroller-friendly.

  4. Pueblo Revival adobe exterior of the Painted Desert Inn National Historic Landmark, Petrified Forest National Park.

    Painted Desert Inn

    Painted Desert (north / I-40) · 45 min · easy pace

    A 1920s adobe inn on the rim, later remodeled in the Pueblo Revival style and now a National Historic Landmark museum, with murals by Hopi artist Fred Kabotie. Free to walk through.

  5. Large fallen petrified log of mineralized rings near the Giant Logs trail behind Rainbow Forest Museum, Petrified Forest National Park.

    Giant Logs & Old Faithful

    Rainbow Forest (south / US-180) · 30 min · easy · 0.4 mi

    A short loop behind the Rainbow Forest Museum past the park's largest petrified logs, including 'Old Faithful,' nearly ten feet across at the base. Start here for the museum's fossils and Junior Ranger desk.

  6. Ancestral Puebloan petroglyphs covering a boulder at Newspaper Rock, Petrified Forest National Park.

    Newspaper Rock

    Painted Desert (north / I-40) · 20 min · easy pace

    An overlook with spotting scopes above a boulder field carved with more than 650 ancestral Puebloan petroglyphs. This is ancestral Puebloan ground; today's Hopi, Zuni, and other Pueblo peoples are their descendants.

  7. Cone-shaped striped badland mounds called The Tepees beside the park road, Petrified Forest National Park.

    The Tepees

    Painted Desert (north / I-40) · 20 min · easy pace

    Cone-shaped hills of blue, purple, and gray bentonite clay right beside the park road — bands of ancient soils stacked into a row of 'tepees.' A two-minute roadside stop.

  8. Reconstructed Ancestral Puebloan pueblo built from blocks of colorful petrified wood at Agate House, Petrified Forest National Park.

    Long Logs & Agate House

    Rainbow Forest (south / US-180) · 1.5 hr · easy · 2.5 mi

    A trail from the south end past long fallen logs to Agate House, a small pueblo the ancestral Puebloans built out of petrified wood about 700 years ago and now partly reconstructed.

Plans by trip length

One day in Petrified Forest National Park

In one day, Rainbow Forest (south / US-180): Blue Mesa Trail, Crystal Forest; Painted Desert (north / I-40): Painted Desert overlooks, Painted Desert Inn.

Best time to visit Petrified Forest National Park

Petrified Forest National Park has no seasonal road closures — its roads and trails stay open year-round. Spring and fall bring the mildest days for walking.

Common questions

How many days do you need for Petrified Forest National Park?

Petrified Forest National Park fills about 1 day at an easy pace — Rainbow Forest (south / US-180) & Painted Desert (north / I-40).

Can you see Petrified Forest National Park in one day?

Yes — pick one area: Rainbow Forest (south / US-180) & Painted Desert (north / I-40) (Blue Mesa Trail, Painted Desert overlooks, Crystal Forest).

What's the best time to visit Petrified Forest National Park?

Any season — Petrified Forest National Park stays open year-round with no seasonal closures.

Is Petrified Forest National Park good with young kids?

Yes — the easier, shorter stops work well with little kids: Blue Mesa Trail, Painted Desert overlooks, Crystal Forest, Painted Desert Inn.

Is Petrified Forest National Park doable with limited mobility?

Several stops are short and low-effort: Painted Desert overlooks, Crystal Forest, Painted Desert Inn, Giant Logs & Old Faithful. Check current trail and road conditions with the park.