As with many national park sites in Arizona, it is easy to visit Petrified Forest in just one day. We chose 9 of the best things to do in Petrified Forest to cover in this post. We were staying in Flagstaff when we visited Petrified Forest, which is just under 2 hours drive from the park. While not close, we were visiting the nearby Wupatki and Sunset Crater National Monuments and stuck with our normal plan of limiting how many times we change lodging.
Petrified Forest National Park is home to large deposits of petrified wood, which are gemlike and stunning in the bright Arizona sun. It is a super easy park to visit with great freeway access and easy hiking. The only “strenuous” part of the trip will be the heat if you go in the summer and the wind that has few barriers on this stretch of land. Join us on our trip through this great Arizona National Park!
9 Amazing Things to Do in Petrified Forest
1. Holbrook + Wigwam Motel
Our first stop upon coming closer to the park was the town of Holbrook, the closest “town” you will find. This cute little town, which obviously influenced the Cars movie franchise, includes cool Wigwam motel rooms that you can still rent today! This was the 6th of 7 total Wigwam teepee motels built across the country and only 3 still stand – this one, one in Cave City, Kentucky, and one in San Bernadino, California. Photos are free and worth the stop!
Sadly Holbrook really did die when I-40 was built and bypassed the town, leading to the motel being closed in 1974 before reopening in 1988 by the same family that has owned it since 1950 and operates it today!
We chose to go counter-clockwise (south to north) on our trip, so the following description will go in that order.
2. Rainbow Forest Museum + Visitor Center
As with most parks, our first stop was the Visitor Center to pick up Junior Ranger books and get a feeling for what we would need to complete to earn the badges. The Rainbow Forest Museum also happens to be the site of a great place to see the petrified logs as it is home to the Long Logs Trail, a 1.6 mile loop trail that brings you past a ton of logs – some over 180 feet long!
We also chose to walk the giant log trail, which is super short 0.4 mile loop trail that includes “Old Faithful” a 10′ wide petrified log!
We chose to skip the Agate House, as it is a 2 mile trail (2.6 when combined with the Long Logs Trail) and we wanted to make sure we used our time well.
3. Crystal Forest Loop Trail
Like the Blue Mesa drive you come across a bit north of the Crystal Forest, this stop has a series of badlands and petrified logs. The Crystal Forest has a 0.75 mile paved trail with a number logs to view. I think that Blue Mesa is more interesting and scenic, but each has their own beauty and as a viewpoint you can pull off and use your judgement.
4. Agate Bridge Petrified Logs
This short stop highlights a 110 foot petrified log bridge, which sounds awesome except that it has this big concrete support under it. While it looks a bit lame in photos because of it, to know that it sat unsupported for as long as it is still makes it worth the short hike to see.
5. Blue Mesa Loop Drive, Vistas, + Hike
The Blue Mesa Loop Drive is 3.5 miles and is a must do in the park! You will see a whole series of badlands that will remind you of Badlands National Park and Theodore Roosevelt National Parks! I think this is one of the best areas of the park and there is also a 1 mile trail that is steep but gets you down into the badlands and seeing more of the petrified trees.
6. Puerco Pueblo Ruins
Puerco Pueblo is an ancient Puebloan village, translated as the Village on the Rio Pueblo in English, that included over 100 rooms and was home to an estimated 200+ people. Today you only see the ruins and the trail is very short at 0.3 miles and paved. What also makes this short walk worth the stop is the adjacent petroglyphs that are always interesting to see! Also nearby is an interesting old building that looked to be used for storage but was another photo spot for the family!
7. Route 66 Historic Route
The original route of the world famous Route 66 runs directly through the park near the Painted Desert Inn. In fact, this is the only park that contains a section of the original route! Today you can see hints of the old road and the telephone poles that ran adjacent to it and this old car – a great spot for photos!
8. Vista Points near the Painted Desert Visitor Center
There are about 8 vista points near the north end of the park in the area around the Painted Desert Visitor Center that are easy to stop and get out to stretch the legs. Many of the views are similar across the area so you can certainly skip some, but the Chinde Point stop has a restroom and picnic area. Tawa Point has a connection to the 1.2 mile Tawa trail and 1.0 mile Painted Desert Rim trail. Both trails are largely visible from the vista points but it is always good to get out and hike!
9. Painted Desert Inn Historic Site
The Painted Desert Inn, located on the original route of Route 66, was built by the Civilian Conservation Corps from 1937-1940. The building is beautiful and a must stop when you are going through the park! In particular, the beautiful murals that are inside were painted in 1947-1948 by a Hopi artist, Fred Kabotie. While you can’t stay at the Inn, unless you are Marty McFly and can travel back to a time before 1947, the history and beauty makes this a must stop like the Kelso Depot in the Mojave Preserve.
We hope you enjoy visiting our top 9 picks for things to do in Petrified Forest! It is a great place where a one day visit is enough to see a variety of sights and experience both beautiful surroundings as well as areas of historical significance.
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