National Park · NPS · AZ · Roosevelt connection
Petrified Forest National Park
Photo: NPS Photo, Petrified Forest National Wilderness Area
Alerts and conditions
Park Closure Painted Desert Visitor Center Closed for Construction
A major construction project is underway at Petrified Forest National Park. The Painted Desert Visitor Center is currently being renovated and is expected to reopen in June 2027. Visitor center operations have been relocated to the Painted Desert Inn, two miles past the entrance station. The restrooms, restaurant, giftshop, and gas station are still operating during construction.
Information The Painted Desert Oasis Gift Shop, Gas Station and Restaurant are Open!
The Painted Desert Oasis gift shop, gas station and restaurant located at the north entrance of the park are open, and restrooms are available during construction. Visitor center operations are currently located at the Painted Desert Inn, two miles past the entrance station.
Information Park Headquarters Phones are Down
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.
Overview
A landscape where deep time lies fully on display, Petrified Forest National Park blends colorful badlands, vast grasslands, and one of the world’s largest and most vivid collections of petrified wood. Spanning more than 200 million years of geologic history, the park protects ancient fossils, ancestral Puebloan sites, habitat for desert animals, and a sweeping stretch of historic Route 66.
From the National Park Service
History
The designation history for this site (every law, proclamation and order, and the administration behind each) is being researched and checked by the Library’s historians.
The Roosevelt connection
Protected by T.R.
- December 8, 1906: as President, Theodore Roosevelt set aside Petrified Forest National Monument. Fallen logs from ancient forests, turned to stone and scattered across the painted desert. It became a national park in 1962.
presidency.ucsb.edu · web.archive.org · Roosevelt’s Public Lands
His proclamations and orders
- December 8, 1906: Proclamation 697, “Setting Aside Petrified Forest National Monument, Arizona.” Today’s site absorbed into it. 221,390.21 acres today, 147,154.45 of them federal.
Proclamation 697 in Theodore Roosevelt’s Executive Orders and Proclamations
What to see and do
Activities
- Arts and Culture
- Cultural Demonstrations
- Auto and ATV
- Scenic Driving
- Astronomy
- Stargazing
- Biking
- Road Biking
- Camping
- Backcountry Camping
- Horse Camping (see also Horse/Stock Use)
- Compass and GPS
- Geocaching
- Orienteering
- Food
- Dining
- Picnicking
- Guided Tours
- Self-Guided Tours - Walking
- Self-Guided Tours - Auto
- Hands-On
- Citizen Science
- Hiking
- Backcountry Hiking
- Front-Country Hiking
- Off-Trail Permitted Hiking
- Horse Trekking
- Horse Camping (see also camping)
- Horseback Riding
- Junior Ranger Program
- Wildlife Watching
- Birdwatching
- Park Film
- Museum Exhibits
- Shopping
- Bookstore and Park Store
- Gift Shop and Souvenirs
Plan your visit
Hours
Park Road Hours: Park Road hours of operation may change due to weather or safety issues. Closed Thanksgiving and Christmas.
Fees and passes
- Entrance - Private Vehicle — $25.00
- Entrance - Per Person — $15.00
- Entrance - Motorcycle — $20.00
- Commercial Entrance - Sedan — $25.00
- Commercial Entrance - Per Person — $10.00
- Commercial Entrance - Van — $50.00
- Commercial Entrance - Mini-bus — $60.00
- Commercial Entrance - Motor Coach — $150.00
- Entrance - Non-commercial Groups — $15.00
- Annual Entrance - Park — $45.00
The America the Beautiful pass covers entrance fees at federal recreation lands across all four agencies.
Getting there
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.
Visitor centers
Weather
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.
Phone: 928-524-6822
Whose lands these are
These lands are the ancestral and present-day homelands of Native nations. A section on whose lands these are is being prepared with tribal review. In the meantime, Native Land Digital offers a starting point.
Photos
Pair it with
- Hubbell Trading Post National Historic Site NPS · 52 miles
- Sitgreaves National Forest USFS · 57 miles
- El Morro National Monument NPS · 81 miles
- Canyon de Chelly National Monument NPS · 84 miles
- El Malpais National Conservation Area BLM · 94 miles
- Apache National Forest USFS · 94 miles