Petrified Forest National Park
Walking & Hiking
Hiking
One of the best ways to enjoy and experience Petrified Forest National Park is on foot. Maintained trails range in length from one-third mile to almost three miles.
You can also hike in the trail-less Wilderness Area, as a day hike or on an overnight backpacking trip.
Stay on designated trails in developed hiking areas. Off-trail hiking damages the fragile grassland environment and disturbs wildlife habitat, creating unsightly "social" trails. Leaving the designated trail can also be hazardous for hikers due to loose rock and dangerous cliffs.
Pets must be kept on leash and are allowed on maintained trails. Pets are not permitted in the park buildings or in Wilderness Areas.
Trails
The best way to enjoy and experience Petrified Forest National Park is on foot. Designated trails range in length from less than a half-mile to almost three miles.
Stay on designated trails in developed hiking areas. Off-trail hiking damages the fragile grassland environment and disturbs wildlife habitat, creating unsightly "social" trails. Leaving the designated trail can also be hazardous for hikers due to loose rock and dangerous cliffs.
Pets are allowed on most of the developed trails. Pets must be kept on leash at all times. Pets are not permitted in park buildings, in Wilderness Areas or on Wilderness access trails (except for service animals). Please clean up after your animal; use the trash receptacles.
Bicycles are not allowed on trails or off roads at any time.
At this time, none of the developed trails meet ADA requirements. Portions of some trails are accessible with assistance. Please see the descriptions below for more information.
Painted Desert Rim Trail
Length: 1 mile round trip
Trailhead: Tawa Point and Kachina Point
This unpaved trail winds through the rim woodland, a place for chance encounters of many species of plants and animals and spectacular views of the Painted Desert.
Please do not harm animals or plants in the park.
Even though this trail does not have stairs, the waterbars and dirt-gravel surface may make this trail unsuitable for strollers.
Puerco Pueblo
Length: 0.3 mile loop
Trailhead: Puerco Pueblo parking area
At Puerco Pueblo, walk amidst the remains of a hundred room pueblo, occupied by the ancestral Puebloan people between 1200 and 700 years ago. Petroglyphs can be viewed along the south end of the trail.
Do not climb on the boulders or walls. Please do not touch the petroglyphs.
This trail is paved and does not have stairs, making it suitable for strollers. It may also be negotiated in a wheelchair with assistance.
Blue Mesa
Length: 1 mile loop, moderately strenuous
Trailhead: Blue Mesa sun shelter
Descending from the mesa, this alternately paved and gravel trail loops among badland hills of bluish bentonite clay and petrified wood. Plant fossils, including delicate ferns, have been found in the sedimentary layers of Blue Mesa.
Please leave petrified wood and other fossils for all to enjoy.
The top portion of this trail may be negotiated by strollers and wheelchairs with assistance. But where the trail begins to drop very steeply to its lower portion, strollers and wheelchairs should be turned around.
Crystal Forest
Length: 0.75 mile loop
Trailhead: Crystal Forest parking area
Despite more than a century of collecting, beautiful crystals still hide in the colorful petrified logs at Crystal Forest.
Please leave them for others to enjoy. Report anyone removing petrified wood, or any other materials, from the park.
This paved trail may be negotiated with strollers, although there are a few steep hills. Wheelchairs may be used to access the shade shelter with assistance, but are not recommended on the loop.
Giant Logs
Length: 0.4 mile loop
Location: Behind Rainbow Forest Museum
* Trail guide available inside Rainbow Forest Museum.
Giant Logs features some of the largest and most colorful logs in the park. "Old Faithful", at the top of the trail, is almost ten feet wide!
This paved trail has several sets of stairs and is not suitable for strollers or wheelchairs.
Long Logs and Agate House Trails can be combined for a total of 2.6 miles round trip. See below for individual trail descriptions.
Long Logs
Length: 1.6 mile loop
Trailhead: Rainbow Forest Museum parking area
Long Logs is one of the largest concentrations of petrified wood in the park. Explore this ancient log jam at the base of gray badlands.
Please leave petrified wood for others to enjoy. Report anyone removing petrified wood, or any other materials, from the park.
The first half-mile of this trail is paved and suitable for wheelchairs and strollers. Strollers may be negotiated on the loop, but it is not recommended for wheelchairs due to its narrow width and very rough surface. Stairs up to the shade shelter can be avoided by using the Agate House trail to access the hilltop.
Agate House
Length: 2 miles round trip
Trailhead: Rainbow Forest Museum parking area
Archeologists believe that this small pueblo was occupied for a short time about 700 years ago. Seasonal farmers or traders possibly built Agate House as a temporary home.
Please leave all archeological artifacts for all to enjoy. Do not sit on fragile walls.
The first half-mile of this trail is paved and suitable for wheelchairs and strollers. Strollers may be negotiated out to Agate House, but it is not recommended for wheelchairs due to its narrow width and very rough surface.
Petrified Forest In Depth
News from the Parks
Colorado Section of Vast Bike Network is 1,000 Miles
January 5, 2009 - 12:43pm
More than 1,000 miles of the 50,000-mile bikeway being spliced together throughout North American lies in Colorado. The Colorado portion is part of the Great Parks section, which includes 2,518 miles from Jasper National Park in Alberta, Canada, to Mesa Verde National Park outside of Durango.
January 5, 2009 - 12:43pm
More than 1,000 miles of the 50,000-mile bikeway being spliced together throughout North American lies in Colorado. The Colorado portion is part of the Great Parks section, which includes 2,518 miles from Jasper National Park in Alberta, Canada, to Mesa Verde National Park outside of Durango.
Ranchers Oppose Yellowstone Bison Relocation
January 5, 2009 - 12:32pm
Ranchers are voicing concern about plans to relocate some Yellowstone Park bison to Indian reservations in Montana and Wyoming. The ranchers are worried about the animals' history of carrying brucellosis, a disease that causes domestic cows to miscarry.
January 5, 2009 - 12:32pm
Ranchers are voicing concern about plans to relocate some Yellowstone Park bison to Indian reservations in Montana and Wyoming. The ranchers are worried about the animals' history of carrying brucellosis, a disease that causes domestic cows to miscarry.
A Trip to Yosemite National Park via YARTS is a Must for Valley Residents
January 5, 2009 - 12:31pm
The YARTS bus sped up Highway 140 from Merced into the foothills. It passed Mariposa and stopped at the entrance to Yosemite National Park. A sign read, “Chains required.” The driver parked, and deftly fitted the chains over the tires. A horde of enthused travelers lined up outside the bus, but there were no more seats. Instead of turning them away, the kindly driver allowed them to board the bus and stand in the aisle for the remaining 13 miles of the trip.
January 5, 2009 - 12:31pm
The YARTS bus sped up Highway 140 from Merced into the foothills. It passed Mariposa and stopped at the entrance to Yosemite National Park. A sign read, “Chains required.” The driver parked, and deftly fitted the chains over the tires. A horde of enthused travelers lined up outside the bus, but there were no more seats. Instead of turning them away, the kindly driver allowed them to board the bus and stand in the aisle for the remaining 13 miles of the trip.
Nene Killed on the Road in Haleakala National Park
January 5, 2009 - 12:21pm
An adult nene was killed on the road at Haleakala National Park on Dec. 28. Motorists traveling to the park are asked to drive slowly and cautiously. Visitors reported the dead nene to Visitor Use Assistant Tony Manion at 7:30 a.m. Park Ranger Chad Riggin retrieved the dead nene from the road near mile marker 16.
January 5, 2009 - 12:21pm
An adult nene was killed on the road at Haleakala National Park on Dec. 28. Motorists traveling to the park are asked to drive slowly and cautiously. Visitors reported the dead nene to Visitor Use Assistant Tony Manion at 7:30 a.m. Park Ranger Chad Riggin retrieved the dead nene from the road near mile marker 16.
Life's a Beach: U.S. Virgin Islands are Calling You
January 5, 2009 - 12:19pm
Don't just sit there. Pick a destination and plan a vacation, maybe to someplace a little exotic, where national parks come with tropical beaches, and boats rather than big RVs are a common mode of transportation. You can enjoy all that without fretting over currency exchange rates or making sure that your passport is up to date if you head to a little paradise called the U.S. Virgin Islands.
January 5, 2009 - 12:19pm
Don't just sit there. Pick a destination and plan a vacation, maybe to someplace a little exotic, where national parks come with tropical beaches, and boats rather than big RVs are a common mode of transportation. You can enjoy all that without fretting over currency exchange rates or making sure that your passport is up to date if you head to a little paradise called the U.S. Virgin Islands.
