Hikes In Petrified Forest National Park: Ultimate Trails For 1 Day

Use this guide to help plan your hikes in Petrified Forest National Park. Start your adventure at the southern end of the park at the Rainbow Forest Museum off Route 180. Work your way north on the main road, stopping at short hikes and great overlooks.

Finally, end your day viewing the painted desert and visiting the Painted Desert Visitor Center. To visit more of the amazing national parks in Arizona, check out our full itinerary, too!

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Before You Venture Out

• Fees to enter Petrified Forest National Park are required. Use your interagency pass! Visit our Gear page to purchase your America the Beautiful Pass online at REI’s website. In some cases, you can purchase an annual pass at the entrance of some parks.
• This park is open from 8 am to 5 pm, MST. Park staff will close the gates at the end of the day. Don’t get stuck!
• Per the National Park Service website: “Removal of petrified wood or any natural or cultural object is strictly prohibited and punishable by federal law.” Leave all petrified wood for everyone to enjoy.

Weather and General Safety in Petrified Forest National Park

• Cell phone coverage is fairly good at Petrified Forest National Park. Connectivity with our carrier was spotty in some areas.
• Carry plenty of snacks and water. It’s recommended to carry at least 1 liter of water for every 5 miles you are hiking. Water fountains are located at the Painted Desert Community Complex and Rainbow Forest Museum.
• There are NO restrooms at most of the trailheads and overlooks. Restrooms are located at the Painted Desert Community Complex, Rainbow Forest Museum, and the Puerco Pueblo Trail (about the mid-point on the main park road).
• Pack PB&J and other snacks to eat around lunchtime on the trails. Snack time is the best time!
• Always carry a first aid kit.
• Make a plan to tell at least one person where you plan to be on each day in case something happens.
• Reduce your risk by preparing and having the proper gear for all hikes you plan to complete. This means good shoes and proper hiking attire. No flip-flops!
• If you visit in the summer, be aware of heat-related illness – you are in the desert after all!
• Please stay on trails and behind any barricades. Park in designated spots only.

Animal Safety in Petrified Forest National Park

• Petrified Forest National Park is home to many animals, including snakes, lizards, coyotes, bobcats, toads, insects, etc. No need to worry about bears here!

Map

The map above can be used to help plan your route. We started on the south end of the park at the Rainbow Forest Museum and Giant Logs Trail

Rainbow Forest Museum and Giant Logs Trail

First, head to the southern end of the park and start your day at the Rainbow Forest Museum. Behind the building here you will find a short trail called the Giant Logs Trail. This area is part of the original National Monument, dating back to 1906.

This location contains some of the most colorful petrified logs in the entire park. According to the National Park Service, the logs here were deposited between 219-213 million years ago!

After you explore this trail, head inside to learn about the history of the park. Don’t forget to hit up the gift store during your visit here, too.

Long Logs and Agate House Trail

This trail is our second favorite of the hikes in Petrified Forest National Park. Leave your car where it’s parked and head across the street from the Rainbow Forest Museum to reach the Long Logs and Agate House Trail.

Walk past the Rainbow Forest Gift Shop and down the sidewalk. Eventually, you will reach the trail on your right. This trail is a 1.6-mile loop trail that will take you to the Agate House.

This area is one of the locations with the largest amount of petrified wood in the entire park. Be sure to leave all the petrified wood where it is for all visitors to enjoy.

As you reach the end of the trail, you will arrive at the Agate House. Believe it or not, this house was built and occupied around 1050 and 1300!

➡️Read next: How to Make the Most of 2 Days at Grand Canyon National Park

Crystal Forest Trail

Now, head back to your car and drive toward the next trail. Heading northeast on the main road will lead you right to the parking area of the Crystal Forest Trail. This is another very short loop coming in at 0.75 miles.

Some of the logs at this location bear the presence of crystals in the petrified wood. Petrified wood deposits along this trail still look like real wood, but they aren’t! Such a cool trail.

Blue Mesa Trail: The best at Petrified Forest National Park!

Afterward, head to the Blue Mesa Trail. This is one of our favorite hikes in Petrified Forest National Park! Drive north along the road until you reach a turn-off for Blue Mesa Scenic Road. Take a right here and head to the parking area.

Once you reach the trailhead, you’ll be rewarded with amazing views! This trail is a 1-mile loop. The beginning of the trail is fairly steep as you descend into the badlands of Petrified Forest National Park.

Teepees

This next spot is more of a lookout point than a trail, but there is an option to stop at the Teepees area. This is an area of the park with hills that some say resemble teepees. If you are looking for another hike, the south parking lot is the trailhead for the Historic Blue Forest Trail. However, we did not stop to hike here.

Next, head north on the main road. You have the option to stop at a few more locations along the road: Newspaper Rock and Puerco Pueblo Trail. Note that there is a restroom at the Puerco Pueblo Trail parking lot as needed.

We did not stop at these locations. Next, after you cross over the railroad tracks, there are a few more spots to pull off if you would like. These include:

• Route 66
• Lacey Point
• Whipple Point
• Nizhoni Point

Painted Desert Inn and Rim Trail

Next, take a break at the Painted Desert Inn! For over 100 years, the Painted Desert Inn has stood, standing over the Painted Desert with amazing views of the area.

Per the National Park Service website: “The original building from the early 1920s was made of petrified wood. Today’s stucco façade dates to the 1930s renovation of the Painted Desert Inn. The national historic landmark functions only as a museum now, with no overnight accommodation and food service.

Displays inside highlight the building’s history, Route 66, and the Civilian Conservation Corps. There are also restored murals by Hopi artist Fred Kabotie.” There are restrooms here if you need to stop!

Next, hike along the Painted Desert Rim Trail. This hike is a 1-mile round trip and will lead you to the parking lot south of the Painted Desert Inn. This trail has excellent views of the Painted Desert from a bird’s-eye view, including a stop at Tawa Point.

Finally, stop at the Painted Desert Visitor Center for a restroom break, refreshments, and souvenirs before you begin your drive toward the Grand Canyon.

If you are looking to hike in the remote backcountry to Devil’s Playground, this is the only place in the park where you can purchase a permit.

Take a scenic drive to Grand Canyon Village

After you stop at the Painted Desert Visitor Center, it’s time to journey toward the Grand Canyon. This is about a 3-hour drive, but you will travel through Flagstaff, so feel free to stop and explore this area!

Keep in mind that as you reach the entrance station to the Grand Canyon, there could be a wait time of up to 2 hours, depending on when you arrive!

🛏️Hopefully, you got your reservations booked early at one of the concessioner lodges at the Grand Canyon. Check out Expedia to find the options to stay inside the park! Book these as early as you can to guarantee your stay.

Where to Stay

We recommend staying at the La Quinta Inn & Suites by Wyndham Holbrook Petrified Forest during your short visit to Petrified Forest National Park. This is a great location that is about 1 hour away from the park.

If you are following our itinerary, we recommend staying at the Hampton Inn & Suites Show Low-Pinetop the night before you drive to Petrified Forest.

Final Thoughts

We loved our visit to Petrified Forest National Park. We honestly did not know what to expect and thought that it might be a quick trip, but we ended up spending the entire day exploring.

It was very interesting to see petrified wood scattered all over the place, followed by an excellent hike through the badlands. The hikes in Petrified Forest National Park are mostly short, but totally worth it.

Finishing up with great views of the painted desert was a nice way to end our time at the park here as well. If you can end your visit at this location as well, Interstate 40 is just seconds away.

We decided to drive through to our final destination at Grand Canyon Village, so we did not stop in Flagstaff. The drive took us through Flagstaff by way of Route 180. This was an awesome scenic drive! Plan to go this route through the mountains if you can, because it was totally worth it.