Petrified Forest National Park
National Park · AZ
2 noticesfrom the National Park Service
Information · Park Headquarters Phones are Down
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.
Information · The Painted Desert Oasis Gift Shop, Gas Station and Restaurant are Open!
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.
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.
- NPS site
- nps.gov/pefo
- Location
- Petrified Forest National Park (34.984, -109.788)
Track your visit to Petrified Forest National Park
NP Tracker keeps a record of every National Park Service unit you visit — all 430-plus of them. Log visits with dates and photos, collect passport stamps, plan trips, and watch your map fill in. It's free.
Passport stamp locations
- PEFO Audio Tour North Stop 2
- PEFO Audio Tour North Stop 30 and South Stop 3
- Painted Desert Community Complex National Historic Landmark
- Painted Desert Inn
- Painted Desert Visitor Center
- Petrified Forest Museum Association Bookstore, Painted Desert Visitor Center
- Rainbow Forest
- Rainbow Forest Museum
Hours
Park Road Hourstoday: 8:00AM - 5:00PM
- Sat Oct 38:00AM - 5:00PM
- Sun Oct 48:00AM - 5:00PM
- Mon Oct 58:00AM - 5:00PM
- Tue Oct 68:00AM - 5:00PM
- Wed Oct 78:00AM - 5:00PM
- Thu Oct 88:00AM - 5:00PM
- Fri Oct 98:00AM - 5:00PM
Upcoming closures: Nov 26 (Park Closed Thanksgiving.)
Park Road hours of operation may change due to weather or safety issues. Closed Thanksgiving and Christmas.
Hours are retrieved from the National Park Service and can change without notice — check the official site before you go.
Visitor centers
3
- Painted Desert Inntoday: 9:00AM - 4:00PMDirections
- Painted Desert Visitor Centertoday: 8:00AM - 5:00PMDirections
- Rainbow Forest Museumtoday: 8:00AM - 5:00PMDirections
Self-guided tours
4
Off the Beaten Path: Billings Gap Overlook Route1–3 hours · 5 stops
This hike takes you to a great viewpoint of the Billings Gap area between Blue Mesa and the landform to the east. The route follows the steep edge of Blue Mesa and offers views of badlands to the east and the broad grassy valleys to the north and south. The badlands’ blues, purples, grays, and whites seem to shift throughout the day and with the seasons. The summer monsoon adds a touch of green vegetation and wildflowers.
Petrified Forest National Park North Audio Tour1–9 hours · 31 stops
This driving tour takes you through the entire park with multiple stops and information in between from north to south. There is a south version, too. Each stop has an audio file that can be downloaded ahead of time.
Petrified Forest National Park South Audio Tour1–9 hours · 31 stops
This driving tour takes you through the entire park with multiple stops and information in between from south to north. There is a north version, too. Each stop has an audio file that can be downloaded ahead of time.
Walking Tour of Giant Logs Trail30–60 minutes · 11 stops
As you walk along the butterfly-shaped trail at Giant Logs, you will see some of the largest, most colorful petrified logs in the park. It is an opportunity to learn about how the logs were petrified and other aspects of Petrified Forest.
Entrance fees
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- Private Vehicle — $25.00
Admits one private, non-commercial vehicle (15-passenger capacity or less) and all occupants. Valid for 7 days.
- 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.
- Motorcycle — $20.00
Valid for 7 days. Admits up to 2 private, non-commercial motorcycles with up to 4 total passengers.
- 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.
- Annual Entrance - Park — $45.00
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.