Petrified Forest National Park

PETRIFIED FOREST NATIONAL PARK
Petrified logs dating back 225 million years!

The Park is located in ARIZONA. Petrified logs dating back 225 million years, giant reptiles called phytosaurs, and early dinosaurs are among the fossils found inside this historical park.

To petrify means, literally, for wood to turn to stone. The Petrified Forest is a semiarid grassland with desert shrub and colorful badlands with a dry, windy climate. The nine types of petrified logs found in the park were fossilized by a process called premineralization.

One of the five-star trails is the Painted Desert Rim. On this one-mile woodland hike you can see diverse flora and fauna and unforgettable views of the Painted Desert.

You cannot miss activities such as hiking, backcountry camping, museum visits, geocaching, horseback riding, cultural demonstrations and much more. But, also bring your kids to the park to see history and science collide for a lesson that cannot be learned in the classroom.

After resting under volcanic ash for millions of years, silica-rich groundwater washed over the logs and slowly dissolved the wood’s organic matter, leaving behind quartz deposits. What makes this fossilization process so unique is that the remnants are a three-dimensional representation of the species, in contrast with compression fossils of plants and animal, which are traditionally flat (and also found in the park). The trace presence of iron oxide contributes to the colorful nature of the logs. Luckily, some original stem cells remain, allowing scientists to study the now-extinct species.

BREATHE IN 'N OUT

COST	Entrance to the Petrified Forest National Park costs $20 per vehicle, $10 per individual, and $30 per annual pass.

PETS	Feel free to bring your furry loved ones to the park. Petrified Forest National Park is a pet friendly park!

OPEN	The park is open every day except Christmas Day. The main park road holds certain hours depending on the season, but it’s usually from about 8am to 6pm daily.

FOOD SERVICES

There is the Painted Desert Diner (near the Painted Desert Visitor Center) and a convenience store in the park and many food options on the outskirts of the park boundaries. There is even a gas station!

ACCOMMODATIONS

Unfortunately, there are no accommodations inside the park unless you’re up for a minimal one mile hike into the designated wilderness area to do some backcountry camping. There are campgrounds and other lodging options nearby the park.

SCENIC ROAD

Drive throughout the park, experiencing 28 miles from one end of the park to the other.

TOURS

Bring the family to witness Navajo Indians demonstrating their craft in silversmithing, weaving, beading and pottery at a cultural demonstration. Throughout the year different guided tours are available. Check at the visitor center for a current schedule.

FAMOUS TRAILS

These three trails are not to be missed!

One of the five-star trails is the park is the Painted Desert Rim trail. It’s only a mile round trip but it will take you through woodland where you can see the diverse flora and fauna and unforgettable views of the Painted Desert. Catch the trailhead at Tawa Point or Kachina Point.

Then head south to the Puerco Pueblo ruins to see the remains of a pueblo occupied over half a millennia ago. As you reach the south end of the trail look for petroglyphs on rock faces—communication from ancestral Puebloans to the modern world. The walk is less than half a mile on a paved road. Get up close and personal with the national park’s namesake in the Crystal Forest. Petrified logs with crystal deposits line the mile loop.

The moderate Blue Mesa trail leads you to one of the highlights of the park: the blue-hued badlands. As you descend into this exterrestrial-like landscape take notice of the scattered petrified logs along the way. Nature at its finest in just under an hour.

when to go

Snow is not frequent in this park but it can occur. The temperatures vary wildly from season to season so be prepared for below freezing temperatures in the winter months to over 100 degrees in the summer.

56F - 91F
February - June
Most likely: driest months

84F - 93F
July, August, September
Most likely: Rainfall is highest during those months.

40F - 49F
December - January
Snow is not frequent in this park but it can occur.

who may meet you here?

A CONCERN

To this day, theft of petrified wood is a major problem that park authorities battle every day. Twelve tons of wood are stolen each year.

who was behind the PETRIFIED FOREST national park ?

Pres. Theodore Roosevelt

In the late 19th century petrified wood was a highly sought-after commodity. Commercial interests were so high that preservation advocates, specifically the Arizona Territorial Legislature, pleaded with Congress to protect the fossils before the forest became completely depleted. This effort failed, but a decade later President Theodore Roosevelt appointed the area as a national monument. In 1962 the national monument became a national park.