Petrified Forest is where whole logs turned to rainbow-colored stone more than 200 million years ago, scattered across badlands striped in blue, purple and red. The Painted Desert spreads across the north end, and ancient pueblos and rock art fill in the human story. One day is enough: drive the park road end to end and stop for the short walks. Spring and fall are the most comfortable; summer is hot with afternoon storms, and winter can bring snow and wind. The park is day use only, so plan around the gate hours.
TRAILS
1 OF 7
Blue Mesa
Difficulty
Moderate
Length
1 mi loop
Elevation gain
100 ft
Central park · Blue Mesa Road — The park's signature walk. A paved path drops steeply off the mesa into banded badlands of blue, lavender and gray, with chunks of petrified wood lying where the clay has washed away. Early morning and late afternoon bring out the colors. The climb back to the top is short but steep.
Photo: dconvertini, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
2 OF 7
Long Logs and Agate House
Difficulty
Easy
Length
2.6 mi
Elevation gain
100 ft
South end · Rainbow Forest Museum — Two loops in one outing. Long Logs passes one of the densest jumbles of long petrified trunks in the park. Agate House is a small pueblo that people built centuries ago from blocks of petrified wood, partly rebuilt so you can see its shape. It's the best longer walk at the south end.
Photo: Andrew Kearns from Mill Valley, United States, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
3 OF 7
Giant Logs
Difficulty
Easy
Length
0.4 mi loop
Elevation gain
50 ft
South end · Rainbow Forest Museum — A short loop behind the museum through some of the largest and most colorful logs in the park, including Old Faithful, nearly 10 feet across at its base. Look closely at the cut ends to see the crystals and colors. Pick up the trail guide inside the museum first.
Photo: Krzysztof Ziarnek, Kenraiz, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
4 OF 7
Crystal Forest
Difficulty
Easy
Length
0.75 mi loop
Elevation gain
Mostly flat
South end · Crystal Forest parking area — A paved loop through a field of broken logs, many of them glittering with quartz and amethyst crystals in their hollows. Early collectors took so much from here that it helped push the area into protection. Leave every piece where it lies; taking even a chip is illegal.
Photo: Diego Delso, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
5 OF 7
Painted Desert Rim
Difficulty
Easy
Length
1 mi
Elevation gain
Mostly flat
North end · Tawa Point to Kachina Point — A level walk along the rim between two viewpoints, with the red and orange Painted Desert spread out below. At Kachina Point, step inside the Painted Desert Inn, a 1930s pueblo-style landmark with colorful murals. Come for sunset, then head out before the gates close.
Photo: Cullen328, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
6 OF 7
Puerco Pueblo
Difficulty
Easy
Length
0.3 mi loop
Elevation gain
Mostly flat
Central park · Puerco Pueblo parking area — A paved loop around the low walls of a pueblo that once had about 100 rooms, set above the Puerco River. Nearby boulders are covered in petroglyphs of birds, people and spirals, and one marks the summer solstice with a beam of light. Bring binoculars for the rock art.
Photo: MPSharwood, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
7 OF 7
Onyx Bridge
Difficulty
Moderate
Length
About 4 mi
Elevation gain
300 ft
North end · Painted Desert Inn — For a taste of the park's wilderness, follow the off-trail route down from the rim into the Painted Desert badlands to a petrified log that spans a small wash. There's no marked trail, just washes and landmarks, so it feels like real discovery. Grab the free route guide at the visitor center first.
⚠︎ Unmarked route with no water or shade. Carry a map or GPS and return before the gates close.
Photo: Joe Mabel, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
Plan your Petrified Forest trip
The Nova Bound app builds the whole trip around these trails: where to stay, where to charge, and what to see each day. Coming soon to the App Store.
Distances are round trip unless noted, from NPS.gov and rounded. Trails, permits and road openings change; always check nps.gov before you go. Trail write-ups by Nova Bound.