Petrified Forest National Park

Discover the rich geological history of this unique national park.

Petrified Forest National Park is located in northeastern Arizona. On the southern end, the Rainbow Forest is full of colorful petrified wood. It is home to the Rainbow Forest Museum, with its paleontology exhibits and several trail access points. In the park's center are the petroglyphs of Newspaper Rock and the ruined village of Puerco Pueblo. To the north, the Painted Desert Inn, a 1930s adobe building, is a museum featuring Hopi murals.

Once a land of lush jungle and river habitat roamed by dinosaurs, Petrified Forest National Park and the Painted Desert is now a land of rock formations bursting with color and brimming with fossils and petroglyphs. This portion of the Chinle Formation has a massive concentration of 225-million-year-old petrified wood. The surrounding region features eroded red-hued volcanic rock called bentonite. There are also dinosaur fossils and over 350 Native American sites within the park. 

Visitors can access the park daily between 8 am and 5 pm and must leave by 6 pm. Please remain on designated trails to avoid unnecessary erosion in the area. The Puerco Pueblo and Giant Logs trails are both less than half a mile long and go in a loop, making it easy to find your way back to the parking lot. The early morning hours and dusk are the best times to view wildlife in the park. Animals that live here include coyotes, rabbits, mule deer, badgers, skunks, and mice. Explore this desert landscape in Arizona with your friends and family.