Petrified Forest

Overview

Petrified Forest National Park in northeastern Arizona preserves the world's largest and most colorful concentration of petrified wood — ancient trees that fell into rivers 225 million years ago, were buried in sediment, and slowly had their organic material replaced by crystalline quartz in vivid shades of red, orange, purple, and yellow. The logs, some over 100 feet long, litter the Painted Desert landscape like a scattered fossil forest. The 28-mile scenic drive through the park passes from the Painted Desert in the north — striped badlands in pastel bands of red, blue, gray, and white — to the petrified wood concentrations in the south. Crystal Forest trail winds among logs glittering with quartz crystals, while Giant Logs trail near the Rainbow Forest Museum contains Old Faithful, a log nearly 10 feet wide. Newspaper Rock, a cliff face covered in over 650 petroglyphs dating back 2,000 years, adds a human dimension to the ancient landscape. Petrified Forest is one of the easiest national parks to visit — most viewpoints are right off the scenic drive, and the park can be experienced in half a day. Stop at Blue Mesa for the most photogenic badlands formations, where a short loop trail descends into blue-and-purple striped hills studded with petrified logs perched on eroding pedestals.

Things to Do

• Drive the 28-mile park scenic road
• Walk the Crystal Forest Trail among quartz-studded logs
• Hike the Blue Mesa loop through painted badlands
• See 2,000-year-old petroglyphs at Newspaper Rock
• Photograph the Painted Desert from Tawa Point
• Walk Giant Logs trail behind the Rainbow Forest Museum
• Backpack into the Painted Desert wilderness

Wildlife

Keep an eye out for these animals during your visit:

Weather & Best Time to Visit

High desert climate with hot summers (90-100°F), mild spring and fall, and cold winters with occasional snow. Afternoon winds can be strong. Thunderstorms occur July through September.