Home Album Guide to Petrified Forest Map No Story
| Distance: | NA - a couple of the stops have short, easy walks - in addition, there are hiking trails along some of the rims, etc. |
| Difficulty: | Easy - check with the rangers at the visitor centers for details. |
| Hike Time: | NA - depends upon how much you linger. |
| Elevation: | High point approx 5890 ft, low point approx 5325 ft. |
| Season: | Year round |
| USGS Maps: | Kachina Point, Adamana, Agate House, Padilla Tank, parts of others. |
| Directions: From: Holbrook |
Drive approximate 26 mile East from Holbrook on I-40 to exit No. 311 and follow the signs. |
There is a lot more to the Petrified Forest than a bunch of petrified logs, in fact most of the other stuff is more interesting. Within the park you will find the Painted Desert, ruins and petroglyphs. The colors of the landscaping are breath-taking. The Petrified Forest is a must stop if you are touring the four corners region.
The Petrified Forest is a National Park so a use fee is charged for entry - the standard National Park rates apply. There are museums, visitor centers and food at both entrances to the park, however there are no overnight accommodations within the park.
There are many tempting objects within the park but be forewarned that the National Park Service has a zero tolerance enforcement policy against poaching artifacts. Look, but don't pick anything up.
We stopped to visit the Park while returning from a trip to Colorado. As luck would have it, temperature-wise it was a record setting day and our car's AC was non-functional. Our goal had been to simply stop in at the "Newspaper Rock" petroglyph site, but soon we were quickly caught up in all of the other venues. We forged ahead until the heat beat us down and then we stopped at the museum at the South entrance to cool off before continuing on to home. In addition, the Agate house and Long Logs areas were closed for road work but they should be open again soon. As a result, the album only consists of the Painted Desert and some petroglyphs.
We saw enough to know that we will stop again on our next planned trip to Colorado in the autumn, which will provide additional pages for the album.
Enjoy!
Trekker