Petrified wood and colorful badlands in Arizona
Petrified Forest National Park, AZ
- Who it suits
- Families with little kids, families with teens and couples
- How long
- 3 or 4 days
- Getting there
- Fly
- Seasons
- Spring, Fall, Winter
Why it works
- Petrified Forest National Park blends colorful badlands, vast grasslands, and one of the world's largest and most vivid collections of petrified wood.
- The drive through the park is 28 miles and takes about an hour without stopping, and most visitors spend 2 to 3 hours.
- The Blue Mesa Trail is a 1 mile loop among badland hills of bluish bentonite clay and petrified wood.
- Kids can ask for a Junior Ranger Activity Booklet at the Painted Desert Inn or Rainbow Forest Museum and earn an official Junior Ranger badge.
Watch out for
- Removing petrified wood from the park is against the law, and every piece sold in gift shops comes from private lands outside the park.
- There is no RV, car or front country camping in the park, and the park is closed on Thanksgiving and Christmas.
Sources
- Petrified Forest National Park blends colorful badlands, vast grasslands, and one of the world's largest and most vivid collections of petrified wood. source (checked 2026-11-14)
- The drive through the park is 28 miles and takes about an hour without stopping, and most visitors spend 2 to 3 hours. source (checked 2026-11-14)
- The Blue Mesa Trail is a 1 mile loop among badland hills of bluish bentonite clay and petrified wood. source (checked 2026-11-14)
- Kids can ask for a Junior Ranger Activity Booklet at the Painted Desert Inn or Rainbow Forest Museum and earn an official Junior Ranger badge. source (checked 2026-11-14)
- Removing petrified wood from the park is against the law, and every piece sold in gift shops comes from private lands outside the park. source (checked 2026-11-14)
- There is no RV, car or front country camping in the park, and the park is closed on Thanksgiving and Christmas. source 1 · source 2 (checked 2026-11-14)