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Petrified Forest National Park

Designation: National Park

Location: Arizona

Visit Official Park Website

📘 Park Overview

Park Hours: 8am to 5pm, MST. Don't forget that Arizona does not observe Daylight Savings. Petrified Forest is best known for its Triassic fossils. It's like having two parks in one, an ecosystem over 200 million years old with plants and animals now represented in the surreal landscape of the Painted Desert. There is also a living park with its own denizens adapted to a demanding environment.

🌤 Weather Information

Petrified Forest National Park is a semi-arid grassland. Temperatures range from above 100° F (38° C) to well below freezing. About 10 inches (25.4 cm) of moisture comes during infrequent snow in the winter and often dramatic summer thunder-storms. Animals and plants are adapted to extremes in temperature and moisture. You should be ready too. Check out the forecast before you arrive and plan accordingly.

🚗 Directions

Petrified Forest stretches north/south between I-40 and Hwy 180. There are two entrances into the park.*** ***WESTBOUND I-40***Travelers should take Exit 311, drive 28 miles through the park to Hwy 180 at the south end. Travel 19 miles to return to I-40 via Holbrook.*** ***EASTBOUND I-40***Travelers should take Exit 285 into Holbrook then travel 19 miles on Hwy 180 to the park's south entrance. Drive 28 miles north through the park to return to I-40.

Images

Sunlit Painted Desert hills of the Petrified Forest National Wilderness Area

Sunrise and sunset are favorite times to view the colorful Painted Desert of the Petrified Forest National Wilderness Area

Credit: NPS Photo

Sunset lights up the Painted Desert Inn National Historic Landmark west side.

Sunset lights up the Painted Desert Inn National Historic Landmark west side.

Credit: NPS Photo

Sunlight highlights the colorful petrified wood of Agate House

Agate House was built over 900 years ago out of pieces of petrified wood

Credit: NPS Photo

Masonry wall foundations are all that are left of a hundred room pueblo

Masonry wall remnants are all that are left of a hundred room pueblo.

Credit: NPS Photo/Andrew V. Kearns

Two visitors walk the Blue Mesa Trail between blue, purple, and grey badlands.

Visitors enjoy the otherworldly walk along the Blue Mesa.

Credit: NPS Photo

many petrified logs lay on the ground and on eroded pedestals of clay

Jasper Forest has some of the most colorful logs in the park.

Credit: NPS Photo/Andrew V. Kearns

A beam of light touches a petroglyph at Puerco Pueblo on the summer solstice

A petroglyph at Puerco Pueblo interacts with the sunlight on the summer solstice.

Credit: NPS Photo

a petroglyph pecked into sandstone that represents a mountain lion

This ancient petroglyph of a mountain lion has become an icon of the park.

Credit: NPS Photo/Stuart Holmes

Researchers dig for fossils in the badlands

Researchers dig for fossils in the badlands.

Credit: NPS Photo

yellow and other colors in a piece of brightly colored petrified wood

Iron oxide is one of the many trace minerals that create the color of petrified wood.

Credit: NPS Photo

Activities

Topics

Operating Hours

Sunday
8:00AM - 5:00PM
Monday
8:00AM - 5:00PM
Tuesday
8:00AM - 5:00PM
Wednesday
8:00AM - 5:00PM
Thursday
8:00AM - 5:00PM
Friday
8:00AM - 5:00PM
Saturday
8:00AM - 5:00PM

Entrance Fees

Entrance - Private Vehicle
Admits one private, non-commercial vehicle (15-passenger capacity or less) and all occupants. Valid for 7 days.
$25.00
Entrance - Per Person
Admits one individual with no motor vehicle (bicyclist, hiker, pedestrian). Youth 15 and under are admitted free of charge. Valid for 7 days.
$15.00
Entrance - Motorcycle
Admits one or two passengers on a single private, non-commercial motorcycle. Valid for 7 days.
$20.00
Commercial Entrance - Sedan
$25 flat fee + $10 per person (Sedans, SUVs, Minivans) If you are conducting an income generating tour of the park, you are subject to commercial tour fees. Fees for commercial vehicles are based on the capacity of the vehicle, not the number of passengers on board, and are valid for 7 days.
$25.00
Commercial Entrance - Per Person
$25 flat fee + $10 per person (Sedans, SUVs, Minivans) If you are conducting an income generating tour of the park, you are subject to commercial tour fees. Fees for commercial vehicles are based on the capacity of the vehicle, not the number of passengers on board, and are valid for 7 days.
$10.00
Commercial Entrance - Van
Capacity of 7 to 15 passengers - $50 (Vans). If you are conducting an income generating tour of the park, you are subject to commercial tour fees. Fees for commercial vehicles are based on the capacity of the vehicle, not the number of passengers on board, and are valid for 7 days.
$50.00
Commercial Entrance - Mini-bus
Capacity of 16-25 passengers - $60 If you are conducting an income generating tour of the park, you are subject to commercial tour fees. Fees for commercial vehicles are based on the capacity of the vehicle, not the number of passengers on board, and are valid for 7 days.
$60.00
Commercial Entrance - Motor Coach
Capacity of 26+ passengers - $150 (Large tour buses, motorcoaches). If you are conducting an income generating tour of the park, you are subject to commercial tour fees. Fees for commercial vehicles are based on the capacity of the vehicle, not the number of passengers on board, and are valid for 7 days.
$150.00
Entrance - Non-commercial Groups
Capacity of 16 or more $15/person. Anyone that is 15 or younger is exempt from paying an entrance fee, in addition to anyone with a valid pass. A pass may cover immediate family members or up to 4 people traveling with the group. A non-commercial organized group is a group traveling together, such as scouts, a club, a church, or other group that has organized its own itinerary. Fees are based on the capacity of the vehicle, not the number of passengers on board, and are valid for 7 days.
$15.00

Entrance Passes

Annual Entrance - Park
Come here often? Consider purchasing an annual pass. The park's annual pass costs $45 and is valid at Petrified Forest National Park. It admits the pass owner and all accompanying passengers in a single, private, non-commercial vehicle. The pass is available to purchase in the park at the entrance stations and is good for one year from the month of issue.
$45.00

3-Day Weather Forecast

Saturday, Feb 14

Cloudy

Cloudy

High: 55.8°F | Low: 37.8°F

Humidity: 72%

Wind: 13.2 mph

Rain Chance: 0%

UV Index: 1.1

Sunrise: 07:07 AM

Sunset: 06:02 PM

Moon: Waning Crescent (12%)

Visibility: 6 mi

Dew Point: 39.3°F

Cloud Cover: 0%

Pressure: N/A mb

Air Quality (PM2.5): N/A

Ozone: N/A

EPA Index: N/A

Sunday, Feb 15

Partly Cloudy

Partly Cloudy

High: 62.4°F | Low: 27.5°F

Humidity: 54%

Wind: 19 mph

Rain Chance: 0%

UV Index: 1

Sunrise: 07:06 AM

Sunset: 06:03 PM

Moon: Waning Crescent (7%)

Visibility: 6 mi

Dew Point: 34.9°F

Cloud Cover: 0%

Pressure: N/A mb

Air Quality (PM2.5): N/A

Ozone: N/A

EPA Index: N/A

Monday, Feb 16

Sunny

Sunny

High: 63°F | Low: 36.9°F

Humidity: 47%

Wind: 29.3 mph

Rain Chance: 0%

UV Index: 1.1

Sunrise: 07:05 AM

Sunset: 06:04 PM

Moon: Waning Crescent (2%)

Visibility: 6 mi

Dew Point: 37.5°F

Cloud Cover: 0%

Pressure: N/A mb

Air Quality (PM2.5): N/A

Ozone: N/A

EPA Index: N/A

Park Alerts

It is Summer!
Please be prepared for summer conditions. It is hot! Bring sun protection and plenty of water. Take advantage of cool mornings. Thunderstorms bring lightning! Have a fun and safe time!
Petrified Forest National Park Closed December 25th, 2025 Park Closure
The park and the park road will be closed on Christmas Day. Open again on December 26th.
Petrified Forest National Park Closed on Thanksgiving Park Closure
Petrified Forest National Park and the park road will be closed on November 27th, 2025, for the Thanksgiving holiday.
Painted Desert Visitor Center Temporary Closure and Relocation Information
In anticipation of a major construction project the Painted Desert Visitor Center on the north side of park will be closed starting 7/23/25. Visitor center operations will be located at the Painted Desert Inn, two miles past the entrance station.
Park Road Closure
Due to flooding, a short segment of the park road is temporarily closed.
Park Headquarters Phones are Down Information
Phones at park headquarters are currently down. Please call the visitor center at Painted Desert Inn 928-235-2467 or the Visitor Services office 928-235-2391 between 8 am and 5 pm. You can also send us an email at pefo_information@nps.gov.
Painted Desert Visitor Center Temporary Closure and Relocation Information
In anticipation of a major construction project the Painted Desert Visitor Center on the north side of park will be closed starting 7/23/25. Visitor center operations will be located at the Painted Desert Inn, two miles past the entrance station.

Park Events

Cultural Demonstration

Cultural Demonstrations take place between 10 am and 3 pm at the Painted Desert Inn National Historic Landmark (2 miles into the park from the north entrance). Schedule is subject to change without notice. At this time, the park features mainly Diné (Navajo), Hopi, and Zuni Tribes, but welcome members of any of the park's affiliated Tribes. Demonstration includes beading, painting, weaving, basketry, silversmithing, dancing, and storytelling.

Date: Feb 28, 2025 12:00am to Dec 31, 2025 12:00am

Paid Event

Museum Demonstration Laboratory

The Museum Demonstration Lab at the Painted Desert Visitor Center is where you can see one-of-a-kind fossils from Petrified Forest National Park being prepared by trained paleontologists! Peek through the window to see fossils from the museum collection. Watch a live microscope feed on the TV as paleontologists remove rock from fossil bone. Chat with scientists via a two-way, hands-free speaker.

The Lab is closed on Federal Holidays.

Date: Apr 2, 2025 12:00am to Dec 31, 2025 12:00am

Paid Event

Museum Demonstration Laboratory

The Museum Demonstration Lab at the Painted Desert Visitor Center is where you can see one-of-a-kind fossils from Petrified Forest National Park being prepared by trained paleontologists! Peek through the window to see fossils from the museum collection. Watch a live microscope feed on the TV as paleontologists remove rock from fossil bone. Chat with scientists via a two-way, hands-free speaker.

The Lab is closed on Federal Holidays.

Date: Apr 2, 2025 12:00am to Dec 31, 2025 12:00am

Paid Event

Visitor Center & Contacts

📍 Physical Address:
Exit 311
Interstate 40
Petrified Forest, AZ 86028

🏤 Mailing Address:
Petrified Forest National Park
P.O. Box 2217
Petrified Forest, AZ 86028-2217

📞 Voice Phone: 9285246228

📞 Fax Phone: 9285243567

✉️ Email: PEFO_information@nps.gov

Park Location

👏 Fun Fact
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