ParkColorado Plateau
Petrified Forest National Park
Triassic logs turned to stone, plus the banded badlands of the Painted Desert. Almost never crowded.
- Managed by
- National Park Service
- From Phoenix
- 3 hr 30 min northeast
- Entry
- Park entrance fee, 7 days
Before you go
Fees, access, and what people get wrong here.
- Gates are open roughly 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., so the park cannot be entered at sunrise or after sunset. Confirm seasonal hours before you go.
- Removing petrified wood is a federal offense. Buy it legally from vendors just outside the boundary.
- Off-trail hiking is allowed and encouraged here, which is unusual for a national park.
Trails here
Routes in this guide that start inside the park.