As its name implies, Petrified Forest features one of the world's largest and most colorful concentrations of petrified wood. Also included in the park's 93,533 acres are the multi-hued badlands of the Painted Desert, archeological sites and displays of 225-million-year-old fossils.

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General Information
History
Reservation Information

General Information

Visitation

About half the visitors come during June, July and August. Visitation for 1996 was 829,615.

Location

The park is located in northeastern Arizona about two hours east of Flagstaff, Arizona and about one hour west of Gallup, New Mexico.

Address

Superintendent
Petrified Forest National Park,
P.O. Box 2217
Petrified Forest National Park, AZ 86028

Telephone

(520) 524-6228

Operating Hours, Seasons

The park is open year-round except on Christmas and New Year's Day. Park hours are from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., with longer hours during the summer. Hours may change, so please call before your arrival.

Note: Arizona does not observe Daylight Savings Time.

Climate & Recommended Clothing

Summers are generally hot with temperatures in the 90s and occasionally in the low 100s. In winter the highs can be in the 40s or 50s, or much colder with highs only in the 20s. Annual rainfall is 9 to 10 inches with 40% resulting from thunderstorms in the late summer. There is occasional snow in the winter. High winds can happen any time of year. Humidity is usually low.

Directions

Petrified Forest stretches between Interstate 40 and U.S. 180. If you're traveling west on Interstate 40, exit at milepost # 311. You can drive through and enjoy the park, then connect with U.S. 180 at the southern end. Take U.S. 180 west to Holbrook and continue west on Interstate 40. Eastbound visitors can exit Interstate 40 at Holbrook and take U.S. 180 east to the park, drive north through the park, and return to Interstate 40.

Transportation

The closest town to Petrified National Park is Holbrook, AZ. There is no public transportation from Holbrook to Petrified National Park. Commercial airports are located in Flagstaff, AZ (two hours from the park); Phoenix, AZ (five to six hours from the park); and Albuquerque, NM (three hours from the park). Commercial tours are available in Flagstaff. Travel through the park is by private vehicle or commercial tour only.

Fees, Costs & Rates

The entrance fee is $10 per private vehicle and $5 for walk-ins and bicyclists. Commercial tour operators need to contact the park for information since fees vary.

Golden Eagle Passport

The Golden Eagle Passport is an entrance pass to any national park, monument, historical site, recreation area, and national wildlife refuge that charges an entrance fee. It is a great convenience for those who plan on visiting several different areas that charge special fees. It is valid for one year from the purchase date. A Golden Eagle Passport may be purchased for $50 at any National Park Service entrance fee area or by mail. To order by mail, send check or money order (no cash, please) to:

National Park Service
1100 Ohio Drive, SW
Room 138
Washington, DC 20242
Attention: Golden Eagle Passport

Where entry is by private vehicle, the Golden Eagle Passport will admit the passholder as well as any passengers. Where entry by private vehicle is not possible, the pass will admit the passholder, spouse, children and parents.

The Golden Eagle Passport will not reduce use fees, such as those for camping, swimming, parking, boat launching, or cave tours. It covers entrance fees only.

Golden Age Passport

The Golden Age Passport is a lifetime entrance pass for those United States residents 62 years or older. These may be purchased at any National Park Service entrance fee area for a one-time processing fee of $10. The Golden Age Passport cannot be purchased by mail or telephone. Proof of age and citizenship or permanent residence must be shown at the time of purchase.

The Golden Age Passport will admit the passholder and any passengers in a private vehicle. When entrance is not via private vehicle, the pass will admit the passholder as well as children, spouse, and parents.

The Golden Age Pass grants a 50% discount to the holder on any federal use fees charged for things such as camping, swimming, parking, boat launching, or tours. It does not, however, reduce the price of special recreation permit fees or fees for concessions.

Golden Access Passport

The Golden Access Passport is a free entrance pass to any national park, monument, historic site, recreation area, and national wildlife refuge for those who are blind or permanently disabled. The Golden Access passport may be obtained at any National Park Service entrance fee area. Proof of a medically determined disability and eligibility for receiving benefits under federal law is necessary at purchase.

The Golden Access Passport will admit the passholder and any passengers in a private vehicle. Where entrance is not by vehicle, the pass will admit the passholder, spouse, children and parents.

The Golden Access Passport also provides a 50% discount on any federal use fees charged for services and facilities. It does not cover special recreation permit fees or fees charged for concessions.

All passes described above are non-transferable.

Facilities & Opportunities

North Entrance (Interstate 40)

The Painted Desert Visitor Center offers park information, an orientation film, and books, postcards, posters, maps, slides and videos are available for sale. A U.S. Post Office is located adjacent to the visitor center.

The Painted Desert Oasis, next to the visitor center, has a gift store, cafe and a gas station/travel store. Telephone: (520) 524-3756. Address: Painted Desert Oasis P.O. Box 2247 Petrified Forest National Park, AZ 86028.

The Painted Desert Inn National Historic Landmark, 2 miles from the north entrance, has historically served as a trading post, inn, and restaurant. Today this museum features exhibits and occasional craft demonstrations by Native American artisans. Call the park for more information.

South Entrance (U. S. 180)

Rainbow Forest Museum has exhibits of early reptiles, dinosaurs, petrified wood and a book sales area.

The Rainbow Forest Store is a combination gift shop and snack bar/soda fountain.

Telephone: (520) 524-3138

Programs & Activities

Ranger talks and tours are scheduled mostly during the summer months. With advanced notice the park has several programs for school groups. Call for additional information.

Lodging & Camping Facilities

There are no campgrounds or lodging facilities in the park but they are available in nearby communities. Overnight backpacking is allowed in the Painted Desert wilderness. A permit is required and can be obtained for free at the visitor center or museum.

Food & Supplies

At the north end of the park is the Cougar Cafe with a gas station and travel store. The Rainbow Forest Store, at the south end of the park, has packaged foods and a soda fountain.

Recommended Activities/Park Use

Activities include sightseeing, photography, walking, hiking and wilderness backpacking. Check the visitor center and museums for a list of interpretive programs.

Reservations/Permits

A free permit must be obtained for overnight wilderness camping. Permits are available at the Painted Desert Visitor Center or the Rainbow Forest Museum. Commercial photography requires a permit, which must be obtained well in advance or your visit.

Basic Visit Recommendations

The average length of stay is two hours but remaining all day is also common. Driving non-stop, through the park, takes 45 minutes. The park is locked at night and visitors must be in their cars and driving toward an exit at closing time.

Special Events/Programs

Summer Solstice - Watch an ancient solar calendar at work. Programs are presented at Puerco Pueblo for a two-week period around June 21, at 8:30 am.

Visitors Impacts

Note: The removal of petrified wood or other features of the park is prohibited by law. Gift shops sell petrified wood that comes from private land, outside the park. No petrified wood is removed legally from the park.

Adjacent Visitor Attractions

Nearby attractions include: Canyon de Chelly National Monument, Walnut Canyon National Monument, Wuptaki National Monument, Hubbell Trading Post National Historic Site, and the Homolovi Ruins State Park near Winslow, AZ.

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History

Native Americans

Evidence of early human occupation is clearly visible on the Petrified Forest landscape. Sites throughout the park tell of human activity in the area for more than 2,000 years. There appear to have been separate occupations, a cultural transition from wandering families to agricultural settlements and trading ties with neighboring villages. The story of early people, told by potsherds, rubble, and pictures on the rocks, fades about 1400.

"Discovery"

In the mid-1800s, U.S. Army surveyors exploring this area carried stories back east about the remarkable "Painted Desert and its trees turned to stone." Farmers, ranchers, and sightseers made their way into the area. Following a period of using the wood for souvenirs and numerous commercial ventures, territorial residents recognized that the supply of petrified wood was not endless. In 1906, selected forests were defined as Petrified Forest National Monument. In 1932 some 2,500 more acres of the Painted Desert were purchased and added to the monument. In 1962 the area became Petrified Forest National Park, and in 1970, 50,000 acres were further designated for preservation as wilderness. Research continues to unlock the geological and human history in the fossils of this national park.

Petroglyphs

For several thousand years, the prehistoric people of the southwest have used rock surfaces as their drawing boards. Recent research has suggested some petroglyph sites in Petrified Forest National Park are more than simple drawings. They are in fact solar calendars.

Solar calendars are single circles and spirals that interact with sunlight and surrounding rocks to mark the passage of the seasons. If you were to watch the sun rise and set over a long period of time, you would notice that the sun follows different paths throughout the year. In the summer it rises in the northeast and in the winter it rises in the southeast. As the sun's position changes, shadows and sunlit images are projected onto the rock carvings. These projections mark the winter and summer solstice, the shortest and longest days of the year, as well as the equinoxes, the midpoints between the two solstices. Evidence also indicates some petroglyphs interact 45 days before and after the winter solstice. A boulder behind Puerco Pueblo is etched with a small circular petroglyph that marks the summer solstice. During the suns morning trek, a shaft of light is projected onto a boulder and travels down the side to penetrate the center of a small circle.

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Reservation Information

There are no campgrounds or lodging facilities in the park but they are available in nearby communities. Overnight backpacking is allowed in the Painted Desert wilderness. A permit is required and can be obtained for free at the Painted Desert Visitor Center or the Rainbow Forest Museum. Commercial photography requires a permit, which must be obtained well in advance or your visit.

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