Petrified Forest National Park

What is Petrified Forest National Park?

The park covers roughly 346 square miles in Navajo and Apache counties. It takes its name from the heavy deposits of petrified wood found across the ground, and its northern part reaches into the Painted Desert. Much of the rest is a mix of shrubby semi-desert and badland hills worn down by erosion, at an average height of about 5,400 feet.

The weather is dry and windy. Summer highs can reach about 100 °F, while winter nights fall far below freezing. More than 400 kinds of plants grow here, most of them grasses, and the wildlife includes pronghorn, coyotes, bobcats, lizards, snakes and over 200 bird species. The park is an International Dark Sky Park and is on the tentative list for World Heritage status.

History of Petrified Forest National Park

The land first gained protection in 1906 as a national monument and was raised to national park status in 1962. The National Park Service runs it. Because Route 66, the BNSF main line and later I-40 all follow the same east-west corridor through the park, travelers on the old highway passed right through it. In 2018 it recorded close to 645,000 recreational visits.

Visiting Petrified Forest National Park: tips

Plan on at least a few hours: the park is large and its sights are spread out. Three other stops are close by: the Flattop Site, an archaeological site, is right beside it, the Painted Desert Inn is about 1.1 miles away and the Painted Desert Community Complex Historic District about 2 miles. The nearest restroom on record is about 0.6 mile away. Carry water and sun protection in summer, and bring warm layers in winter, since the high elevation makes nights cold.