12 Reasons the Petrified Forest National Park is Worth It!

While looking at attractions or on a road trip near Flagstaff, you may wonder “Is the Petrified Forest National Park worth it?”.  “Isn’t the park just a bunch of petrified wood? Boring!”.  The answer to these questions is that this vast 346-square-mile Park does have lots of petrified wood but it definitely is worth visiting because it is much more than just that.  I’ll give you 12 reasons the Petrified Forest National Park is worth it!  

First, the Park has several overlooks to view some of the most striking painted semi-desert badlands in the Southwest. It contains a set of petroglyphs left by indigenous people.  The Park has a strip of the old Route 66 and is the only National Park Service property that has a portion of Route 66 within its boundaries. It has several trails that are worth the hike.   It contains the Painted Desert Inn which was built using petrified wood and other native stones and is a National Historic Landmark.  The Park is also known for its fossils.  Finally, approximately a third of the park has been designated as a wilderness area. Therefore, you need to go see this Park!

Access all of these attractions using the Petrified Forest Road, a 26-mile paved road, connecting both the North and South Entrances/Exits..

Let’s look at the 12 reasons the Petrified Forest National Park is worth it.

Reasons Why A Visit is Worth It

(1) Petrified Logs

As mentioned, there are plenty of petrified wood showing up in this park.  There are thousands of individual pieces of petrified wood. scattered throughout the park but especially in areas including the Blue Mesa Drive, Jasper Trail, Crystal Trail, and Long Logs Trail.  

(2) Painted Desert Views

The park has several painted desert overlooks in the Park mostly in the Northern section of the park after driving into the Park from the North Visitors Center. They provide many different perspectives and colors while looking out into this remarkable painted desert.

(3) Petroglyphs

Visit Newspaper Rock to see over 650 petroglyphs on numerous rocks. The high concentration of petroglyphs in this area indicates these rocks were an important area to indigenous communities.  Also, with so many petroglyphs, it’s difficult to interpret any storyline that was intended.

Note that you can’t see the petroglyphs with the naked eye.  Spotting scopes are provided.  I used my zoom lenses on my camera to get those shots below of the petroglyphs.  

(4) Route 66 

An old roadbed and weathered telephone poles are all that’s left of Route 66. The Petrified Forest National Park is the only park managed by the National Park Service with a section of Historic Route 66 included.  The Park has a stop on the tour to see the remains of a 1932 Studebaker to celebrate the old route that cut through the Park.

(5) The Painted Desert Inn National Historic Landmark

The Painted Desert Inn was built based on the vision of Herbert David Lore.  Construction materials included petrified wood and other native stone.  The Inn was registered with the land office in 1924. 

The home, along with four square miles was purchased in 1936 by the Petrified Forest National Park for $59,400. It was reopened as an inn on July 4, 1940, for Route 66 travelers.

The Painted Desert Inn became a National Historic Landmark in 1987.

(6) Pueblo Ruins

The Puerco Pueblo ruins are located in the south portion of the park as you go below I-40.  The pueblo ruins are what remains of a 100-room compound occupied more than 600 years ago by the indigenous peoples in this area.    

Indigenous communities utilized petrified wood for various reasons including sharp projectiles.  They also used it as building wall material.  The Agate House is an eight-room pueblo that originated sometime between 1050 and 1300.

(7) Blue Mesa Drive

The Blue Mesa Drive brings visitors down a spur road on a 5-mile round trip and takes them to the top of the Blue Mesa with scenic overlooks of the landscape, badlands, trail, and hoodoos. There are numerous petrified logs along the drive. 

(8) Agate Bridge

Agate Bridge is a stop along the park’s main road about 18 miles from the north entrance of the Park.  It was originally called the Natural Bridge. It’s an exposed petrified log that spans across a gully at Agate Mesa, forming a “Bridge”.  

The log is 100’ in length and 4’ in diameter at the log’s base. It spans 40’ across the gully 16’ above the canyon floor.

In April 1903, masonry pillars were built under the log to prevent it from collapsing..  By 1911, the masonry posts were replaced with concrete.  The Park used a concrete beam in 1917 to replace the previous concrete supports for $1700.

(9) Jasper Forest

Right past the Agate Bridge, the Jasper Forest gives us an overlook at an area with the highest concentration of petrified wood.  This area was originally called the “First Forest” as it was the first set of petrified wood that travelers would encounter as they came by wagon from the Adamana Train Station.  

(10) Crystal Forest Trail

The Crystal Forest Trail is named for the presence of colorful crystals that can be found in the petrified log.  The trail allows the visitor the best way to take a short walk amongst many petrified logs and experience their beauty.  The looping trail is 0.75 miles.

(11) Trails

Several trails run throughout the Petrified Forest National Park. 

Map of the Trails

Tawa Trail

Length: 1.2 mile (1.9 km) one way (groomed surface)

Trailheads: Tawa Point and Painted Desert Visitor Center

Painted Desert Rim Trail

Length: 1 mile (1.6 km) round trip (unpaved trail)

Trailheads: Tawa Point and Kachina Point

Puerco Pueblo

Length: 0.3 mile (0.5 km) loop (paved walk)

Trailhead: Puerco Pueblo parking area

Blue Mesa

The Blue Mesa Trail winds through an area of blue-colored badlands and reaches the valley floor. The blue color is due to the presence of bentonite clay.

Length: 1 mile (1.6 km) loop (alternately paved and gravel)

Trailhead: Blue Mesa sun shelter

Crystal Forest

Length: 0.75 mile (1.2 km) loop 

Trailhead: Crystal Forest parking area

Long Logs

Length: 2.6 mile (2.18 km) loop; 60 – 120 minutes

Trailhead: 0.5-mile sidewalk from the South Visitor Center parking lot

• Holbrook, AZ – Gateway to the Petrified Forest National Park
• Exploring the Grapevine Mesa Joshua Tree Forest: A Natural Landmark in Arizona
• Explore Petroglyph Wall Trail in Red Rock Canyon
• Abandoned Anasazi Inn Gray Mountain
• Valley of Fire State Park (Off the Las Vegas Strip)

(12) Visitor Centers, Gift Shop, and Rainbow Forest Museum

There is both a North and South Entrance/Exit to the park.  

Both entrances are great.  You can have the best time learning all about petrified wood, watch a movie about the park, and chat with a Park Ranger about the things to do in the park.  They are always a lot of fun and are educational.  

The Southern Entrance does contain the Rainbow Forest Museum.  It also has a short easy hike to the Giant Logs Trail where you walk amongst more and more large petrified wood.

Of course, you also want to go to the Gift Shop and get some souvenirs and get that National Park Service stamp or sticker as well.

Conclusion

Again, If you’re anywhere near Flagstaff, we highly recommend that you go and explore the Petrified Forest National Park.  As you can tell from this post and the pictures, the site is incredibly beautiful and impressive. I’ve given you 12 reasons the Petrified Forest National Park is worth it, so use this info and plan a trip.

If you like this content, I know you will enjoy all the other epic Arizona trip videos to help you plan your next epic trip with your significant others. There is a multitude of attractions near Flagstaff to enjoy including:

• Walnut Canyon National Monument
• Two Guns – Gas Station and KOA Graffiti Art
• Two Guns – Apache Death Cave
• Meteor Crater National Monument
• Wupatki National Monument
• Sunset Crater National Monument

If you have visited the Petrified Forest National Park, put a comment below and let us know your experience at this park!!