Best things to see and do at Petrified Forest and Painted Desert: A complete guide
I celebrated early. I couldn’t help myself.
Later this year, Petrified Forest will turn 60 years old as a national park and I wanted to honor such a special occasion.
But the actual anniversary falls in December and that did not seem to be an ideal time to visit the high plains of northern Arizona. Instead I opted to celebrate with a summer road trip exploring this vast park east of Holbrook in the heart of the Painted Desert.
It doesn’t matter whether you come for the scenery, the expansive sky, the haunting quiet, the surprising colors of the fossil fields or the mind-boggling span of history, you’ll find it all at Petrified Forest.
More: Fossil found in Petrified Forest is 220 million years old. Here's what it looks like
What is special about the Petrified Forest?
Never has the toppling of a forest ended in such colorful elegance.
To fully appreciate Petrified Forest, start by imagining that it looks the exact opposite of what it does today.
Instead of high dry grasslands, 200 million years ago this was a humid forested basin slashed by winding rivers and streams. During the Triassic period, crocodile-like reptiles, giant amphibians and early dinosaurs roamed among the towering trees and leafy ferns.
As the trees died they were washed into the swamps and buried beneath volcanic ash where the woody tissue was replaced by dissolved silica and other minerals. The minerals added a kaleidoscope array of colors and preserved minute details of the wood.
Now these ancient trees — trees that once offered shade to dinosaurs — lie tumbled amid the gnawed hills and rolling prairie of the park.
Believed to shelter the largest concentration of petrified wood on the planet, Petrified Forest delivers scenic and scientific wonders in equal measures. The fossils of the plants and animals unearthed tell the story of a time when the world was young.
Just as important to the casual visitor, this laboratory is set amid rolling plains that wash up against brilliantly colored badlands beneath a sky that is vast and ever changing.
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Fossils, dinos and petrified wood
A single roadway winds through the park south to north, carving out a visitor-friendly experience filled with photogenic pullouts, exhibits, archaeological sites and short hiking trails.
I enter from the south and make my first stop at the Rainbow Forest Museum and Visitor Center. Inside the stone building you’ll find a nice collection of books, information and monster skeletons. Here’s where visitors get their first glimpse of some of the giant reptiles and early dinosaurs that once prowled this humid swamp.
A short film provides the lowdown on the petrification process and opens your eyes as to just what a remarkable array of fossils are still being dug up in the park.
Walk out the back door and onto the short Giant Logs Trail. Although there are some steps, this short (0.3 mile) paved loop is easy to manage as it weaves through an assortment of the largest logs in the park, including “Old Faithful,” 35 feet long and weighing 44 tons.
Across the parking lot, a large gift shop offers cold drinks and snacks. The Long Logs and Agate House trails lead to another impressive collection of petrified wood and a small pueblo dating back 700 years, which feels like the blink of an eye here in dinosaur country.
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Painted Desert-Petrified forest scenic drive
Once you continue driving north through the park, you’ll have plenty of highlights to enjoy. Petrified Forest is a dream scenario for those with limited time or mobility issues. Much can be seen from signed roadside overlooks and short paths, meaning the park can be enjoyed as just a scenic drive.
I’ve done that many times, pulling off Interstate 40 for a quick detour just to immerse myself in this quiet backcountry. Yet Petrified Forest also has the power to swallow you whole. You can fall off the grid here, leaving cares and responsibility behind.
I don’t want to say that Petrified Forest is the most soothing, relaxing place in Arizona but then again, maybe I do. The vastness of the landscape always startles me — an endless prairie broken by clusters of clay hills seamed with color.
There’s something hypnotic about it. An immense sky, this wild canopy of monsoon drama, drapes over it all. Without a nearby horizon to hold on to, it feels like I am unmoored and free-floating.
Stress just seems to melt away in the face of such expanse and eerie quiet. You experience that sensation in small doses from roadside stops. But it really takes hold when you walk away from the highway.
Where to hike at Petrified Forest National Park
Designated trails in Petrified Forest are short but spectacular. Additionally, the park offers several Off the Beaten Path routes posted on the website, steering visitors to backcountry adventures.
Some are quick and relatively easy, like the 1-mile hike to Martha’s Butte, a distinctive hill visible from the road. Others are more complicated treks requiring navigational skills. These are not trails — you’re just making your way across open terrain.
There’s also 50,000 acres of wilderness spread among the rolling badlands of the Painted Desert at the far northern end of the park. It’s an otherworldly setting with wildly eroded siltstone, mudstone and shale banded with seams of color. If you’re going to run into a dinosaur, this looks like the place it would happen.
Day hikers can explore at their leisure. What’s less well known is that permits for overnight backpacking are also offered. Permits are free and available from both visitor centers on the day you want to backpack. No other camping is available in the park.
Best things to do at Petrified Forest and Painted Desert
If, like most visitors, you’re just spending a day driving through Petrified Forest National Park, here are the highlights you should not miss.
See Newspaper Rock: Spotting scopes are set up at an overlook above Newspaper Rock. Hundreds of petroglyphs are etched into the stone, some dating back 2,000 years.
Visit Blue Mesa: A short side road leads through a colorful corner of the park that features an astonishing collection of badlands, log falls and pedestal logs. A 1-mile loop trail curls through the heart of the hills formed of bentonite clay laced with minerals, which gives them their vibrant bluish hues.
Remember the Mother Road: A 1932 Studebaker marks the spot where Route 66 once crossed the park. A string of weathered telephone poles traces the old alignment, a silent reminder of what once existed.
Enjoy an ice cream at Painted Desert Inn: The former inn has been restored and turned into a museum with exhibits and views from its high perch overlooking the Painted Desert. Downstairs they serve up big scoops of ice cream.
Chat with a paleontologist: Behind the Painted Desert Visitor Center at the north entrance of the park is the scientific equivalent of an open kitchen. There’s a paleo lab with big windows and an audio system overlooking the workstation where fossils are being cleaned and studied. You can observe from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Wednesdays through Sundays.
Fun fact: Petrified Forest was designated a national monument on Dec. 8, 1906. It became a national park on Dec. 9, 1962.
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Visiting Petrified Forest National Park
Where: North and south of Interstate 40 about 20 miles east of Holbrook. The northern entrance is at Exit 311 off I-40. The southern entrance is 19 miles east of Holbrook off U.S. 180.
When: 8 a.m.-6 p.m. daily.
Admission: $25 per vehicle, good for seven days.
Reminder: Leave all petrified wood for others to enjoy. Theft is a serious issue for the park. Report any removal of petrified wood or other materials. Petrified wood collected from private lands is for sale at shops in and outside the park.
Details: 928-524-6228, https://www.nps.gov/pefo.
Find the reporter at https://www.rogernaylor.com. Or follow him on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/RogerNaylorinAZ or Twitter @AZRogerNaylor.
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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Petrified Forest and Painted Desert: Best things to see and do
