When is the best time to visit Petrified Forest National Park?

If you want fewer people, go in April, the quietest shoulder-season month. June is the busiest month on average, and February the quietest, based on NPS recreation visits for 2021–2025. Check nps.gov for seasonal road and facility closures before you go.

How much does it cost to visit Petrified Forest National Park?

$25 / vehicle. An America the Beautiful annual pass covers entrance fees at every national park.

What are some things to do in Petrified Forest National Park?

The National Park Service lists 15 things to do in Petrified Forest National Park, including Collect Your Cancellation Stamps, Watch Wildlife, Walk Puerco Pueblo Trail, Walk Crystal Forest Trail, Walk the Painted Desert Rim Trail. Each has its own page on nps.gov with current conditions.

When did Petrified Forest National Park become a national park?

Petrified Forest National Park was established as a national park on December 9, 1962.

What is the closest national park to Petrified Forest?

Grand Canyon National Park, about 149 miles away in a straight line (roughly 4 hours' drive, estimated).

Arizona · Est. 1962

Petrified Forest National Park

Last verified October 1, 2026$25 / vehicle

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.gov

Sunlit Painted Desert hills of the Petrified Forest National Wilderness Area — Photo: NPS Photo

State: Arizona
Established: December 9, 1962
Size: 221,390 acres
2025 visits: 315,951
Busiest-park rank: #48 of 63
Entrance: $25 / vehicle

Best time to visit

When is Petrified Forest quiet?

Petrified Forest is busiest in June and quietest in February. For a quieter visit outside the dead of the off-season, April is the quietest shoulder-season month, going by National Park Service visitor counts for 2021–2025.

In 2025 the park logged 315,951 recreation visits, the #48 busiest of the 63 national parks. Quiet months can also mean closed roads or facilities, so check current conditions before you go.

Crowd calendar, all 63 parks →Is Petrified Forest open right now? →

Average visits by month

2021–2025 · NPS IRMA

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Quietest: FebruaryBusiest: June

Fees & passes

What it costs to visit Petrified Forest

Private vehicle$25

Motorcycle$20

Per person (on foot / bike)$15

Petrified Forest annual pass$45

From the NPS fees data, checked October 1, 2026. Fees on nps.gov

Visiting several parks this year? The pass calculator shows whether the America the Beautiful pass pays off.

Reservations · 2026

No park-wide reservation

The National Park Service lists no timed-entry or vehicle reservation for Petrified Forest National Park. Campgrounds, tours and backcountry permits may still need booking, so check the park's plan-your-visit page.

Every park that needs a reservation in 2026 →

Things to do

Things to do in Petrified Forest

The National Park Service lists 15 things to do in Petrified Forest National Park, from quick stops to full-day outings. The shortest come first.

All activities →

Collect Your Cancellation Stamps2-10 Minutes · All year
Collect your cancellation stamp!
Watch Wildlife5-120 Minutes · All year
Watching wildlife is a seasonal activity, but just in that the species to watch change, particularly in birdwatching.
Pets OK
Walk Puerco Pueblo Trail10-60 Minutes · All year
The 3/4 -mile paved Puerco Pueblo Trail features the remnants of a hundred room masonry pueblo.
Pets OK
Walk Crystal Forest Trail20-120 Minutes · All year
Walk Crystal Forest Trail for one of the best opportunities to experience the petrified wood deposits as it loops through rolling gray and purple badlands.
Pets OK
Walk the Painted Desert Rim Trail20-120 Minutes · All year
This unpaved trail winds 1-mile round trip through the rim woodland, a place for chance encounters of many species of plants and animals and spectacular views of the Painted Desert.
Pets OK
Explore at the Paleo Exhibits at Rainbow Forest Museum30-60 Minutes · All year
Explore the paleontology exhibits at Rainbow Forest Museum.
Take a Self-Guided Tour of Giant Logs30-60 Minutes · All year
Take a self-guided tour of Giant Logs, one of the highest concentration of large, colorful petrified logs.
Pets OK
Walk Blue Mesa Trail30-120 Minutes · All year
This 1-mile alternately paved and gravel trail loop offers the unique experience of hiking among banded badland hills of bentonite clay as well as petrified wood.
Pets OK

Show all 15 things to do

Walk the Tawa Trail30 Minutes · All year
Pets OK
Go Geocaching60 Minutes · All year
Pets OK
Walk Long Logs Trail60-120 Minutes · All year
Pets OK
Become a BARK Ranger!All year
Pets OK
Enjoy Horseback RidingAll year
Pets OK
Go BicyclingAll year
Pets OK
Peek into the Paleo LabAll year
Pets OK

From the National Park Service (checked October 1, 2026). Each title opens its nps.gov page with current conditions.

By activity

The number shows how many of the 63 national parks offer each activity.

Weather

Weather at Petrified Forest

Petrified Forest National Park is a semi-arid grassland. Temperatures range from above 100° F (38° C) to well below freezing. About 10 inches (25.4 cm) of moisture comes during infrequent snow in the winter and often dramatic summer thunder-storms. Animals and plants are adapted to extremes in temperature and moisture.

You should be ready too. Check out the forecast before you arrive and plan accordingly.

From the National Park Service.

Getting there

Getting to Petrified Forest

Petrified Forest stretches north/south between I-40 and Hwy 180. There are two entrances into the park.*** ***WESTBOUND I-40***Travelers should take Exit 311, drive 28 miles through the park to Hwy 180 at the south end. Travel 19 miles to return to I-40 via Holbrook.*** ***EASTBOUND I-40***Travelers should take Exit 285 into Holbrook then travel 19 miles on Hwy 180 to the park's south entrance.

Drive 28 miles north through the park to return to I-40.

Exit 311, Petrified Forest, AZ, 86028 · Directions on nps.gov

Nearby

National parks near Petrified Forest

Straight-line distance between park centers; drive times are rough estimates.

Closest big cities: Phoenix (164 mi)

Road trip

Petrified Forest & Saguaro

2 parks, about 200 miles between them (~5 h of driving, estimated).

Petrified Forest is the orange dot. Tap any park to tick it off your checklist.

Sunset lights up the Painted Desert Inn National Historic Landmark west side. — Photo: NPS Photo

Sunlight highlights the colorful petrified wood of Agate House — Photo: NPS Photo

FAQ

Petrified Forest, quickly

When is the best time to visit Petrified Forest National Park?: If you want fewer people, go in April, the quietest shoulder-season month. June is the busiest month on average, and February the quietest, based on NPS recreation visits for 2021–2025. Check nps.gov for seasonal road and facility closures before you go.
How much does it cost to visit Petrified Forest National Park?: $25 / vehicle. An America the Beautiful annual pass covers entrance fees at every national park.
Do you need a reservation for Petrified Forest National Park in 2026?: The National Park Service lists no park-wide timed-entry or vehicle reservation for Petrified Forest National Park. Campgrounds, tours and some popular hikes may still need bookings, so check the park's plan-your-visit page.
What are some things to do in Petrified Forest National Park?: The National Park Service lists 15 things to do in Petrified Forest National Park, including Collect Your Cancellation Stamps, Watch Wildlife, Walk Puerco Pueblo Trail, Walk Crystal Forest Trail, Walk the Painted Desert Rim Trail. Each has its own page on nps.gov with current conditions.
When did Petrified Forest National Park become a national park?: Petrified Forest National Park was established as a national park on December 9, 1962.
What is the closest national park to Petrified Forest?: Grand Canyon National Park, about 149 miles away in a straight line (roughly 4 hours' drive, estimated).

Sources · 3

1.Petrified Forest National Park — official site · National Park Service
2.NPS Data API — /parks (all park units) · National Park Service (U.S. Department of the Interior)
3.Petrified Forest National Park — Visitor Use Statistics · National Park Service (IRMA)

About this page

Park facts, photos, fees and visitor counts come from the National Park Service (NPS Data API and Visitor Use Statistics), last checked October 1, 2026. Park'd is an independent app and is not affiliated with the National Park Service. For official, current information, visit nps.gov/pefo.

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Petrified Forest National Park