Petrified Forest National Park

Sunrise and sunset are favorite times to view the colorful Painted Desert of the Petrified Forest National Wilderness Area
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.
Map showing location of park.
Flatiron Petroglyph Panel
More Arizona Archeology Month Hikes Added to the Calendar at Petrified Forest National Park!
In response to overwhelming public interest, Petrified Forest National Park is adding 3 additional hikes to archeology sites in the month of March. Learn about the past by joining a ranger for a guided hike into the beautiful and ancient landscapes of Petrified Forest National Park. Expect off trail conditions that include rocky and rugged desert terrain. Reservations required.
Celebrate Arizona Archeology Month with a Hike at Petrified Forest National Park!
Learn about the past by joining a ranger for a guided hike into the beautiful and ancient landscapes of Petrified Forest National Park. Expect off trail conditions that include rocky and rugged desert terrain. Reservations required.
Yellow Billed Cuckoo
Threatened Yellow Billed Cuckoo Sighted in Petrified Forest National Park
Petrified Forest National Park is excited to announce sightings of a rare bird along the Puerco River within the park.
Sunlit Painted Desert hills of the Petrified Forest National Wilderness Area
Photo by NPS Photo
Sunset lights up the Painted Desert Inn National Historic Landmark west side.
Photo by NPS Photo
Sunlight highlights the colorful petrified wood of Agate House
Photo by NPS Photo
Masonry wall foundations are all that are left of a hundred room pueblo
Photo by NPS Photo/Andrew V. Kearns
Two visitors walk the Blue Mesa Trail between blue, purple, and grey badlands.
Photo by NPS Photo
many petrified logs lay on the ground and on eroded pedestals of clay
Photo by NPS Photo/Andrew V. Kearns
A beam of light touches a petroglyph at Puerco Pueblo on the summer solstice
Photo by NPS Photo
a petroglyph pecked into sandstone that represents a mountain lion
Photo by NPS Photo/Stuart Holmes
Researchers dig for fossils in the badlands
Photo by NPS Photo
yellow and other colors in a piece of brightly colored petrified wood
Photo by NPS Photo
Dark blue sky filled with stars over banded badland.
Photo by NPS/Jacob Holgerson