The geology behind the Petrified Forest is super nerdy. Additionally, the colors of the park are extraordinary. And there are some decent/moderate hikes. It’s an easy park to visit and enjoy, especially if you’re open to learning a bit about the history of our planet.
We visited Petrified Forest in September 2019 (and October 2024)
Getting There
Petrified Forest National Park is far from civilization, but easy to get to. Interstate 40 literally runs though the park. That gets you to the north entrance which is about 25 miles east of Holbrook. That route is adjacent to old US Route 66 and there is some great Mother Road history in and around the park (Painted Desert Inn). The south entrance is off Highway 180 and is how we entered the park. Just before the park boundary on the south side, there are two gift shops/museums that (as of 2019) had available RV spots either for free (boondock) or $10 (electric hookup). That was just what we needed as we got there late in the afternoon in the middle of a downpour. There are no operating campgrounds inside the park, nor is there any lodging. In fact, they close the gates around sunset and it stays closed until morning. I think this is due to the frequent theft of the petrified wood by past guests. Oh well, we needed the sleep anyway.
Really?
An Ocean?
The main park road connects the north and south entrances and all along the route are exhibits and hikes that bring the park to life. There are hikes that pass through millions of years of erosion and tell a colorful story of past eras. Our favorite was the Blue Mesa which requires about a mile drive off the main road to a parking area at the trailhead. A steep slope leads down to the roughly mile long hike strewn with petrified wood chunks. The colorful sediment is cool, especially when you understand its journey to get to the middle of Arizona. Evidently, about 200 million years ago, this area was about where modern day Costa Rica sits today. And of course, the climate was dramatically different then and over time to get to today. Much of Arizona was part of a shallow sea and the petrified wood formed as dead trees were submerged, infiltrated with mineral rich water (volcanic ash), and compressed over millions of years. There is petrified wood all over the world, this area is just very highly concentrated. There’s a lot more to the story online or at the park if you’re interested. There are many fascinating stops along the park road. Blue Mesa is just one. Newspaper Rock is another. At this pulloff, you can see (through scopes or your camera zoom, not up close) a rock that has dozens, if not hundreds of ancient drawings (petroglyphs). Crazy to think of 2000 year old Puebloan graffiti. Agate House and Rio Puerco are two other spots that housed ancients in these parts. The Agate house is built out of pieces of petrified wood. It’s a couple mile hike to get there and back, but definitely worth it. Some of the best and biggest petrified logs can be seen at either the Long Logs or Giant Logs stops. Again, since there’s no lodging inside the park, I think the best approach is to take a full day and drive the park road, stopping at as many places as you want. Take a couple hikes and read up on the history and geology.
Fraud Alert! This picture was NOT taken at Petrified Forest. The weather prevented our night sky photography endeavors and this is a substitute picture from a few nights earlier in New Mexico.
The Park
After Dark
Petrified Forest is considered a “Dark Sky” park which is a classification given to those few parks where the night sky is not (or less) “polluted” by the lights of civilization. These parks have especially dark night skies and are typically amazing for astrophotography. Big Bend is one of the better ones. Unfortunately, since you really can’t (easily) access Petrified Forest National Park after dark, it sure seems like a wasted honor. They do have backcountry permits so it is possible to camp overnight in the park. Cousin Eddie doesn’t qualify for this. In the fall of 2024, we made another pass through Petrified Forest during a Route 66 roadtrip. When we got into the Painted Desert Visitor Center late in the afternoon, I noticed a small sign that said something about Dark Sky Photography Permits. When I asked the ranger, she said we could park our RV at one of three spots for the night to do some photography. Yes! Rainy’s eyes lit up and to our good fortune, there was still one available (they give out very few each night). We drove around the Painted Desert area (very picturesque, but not nearly as nice as Sedona or the Grand Canyon) as the sun headed toward the horizon. We landed at the Chinle Point overlook for the night which appeared to be a nice vantage point. As we got set up for the evening, the clouds began to roll in. Between the gusty winds and the clouds, the photography was a bust. This was also when the C/2023 A3 comet was visible in the night sky, so those hopes were dashed. We did see the comet super clearly a few nights previously in New Mexico though. But a free night camping, practically all alone in a national park was like one of those MasterCard commercials. Priceless!
Petrified Forest is definitely different. But it’s still got plenty to see and adventures to be had. The learnings here should humble you as a human, but if not, that’s fine too. Just bring your camera, some hiking shoes, and curiosity. I bet you learn something.