Planning a Trip

Getting There & Gateways

Petrified Forest National Park is 117 miles east of Flagstaff and 180 miles north of Phoenix. The north entrance is 25 miles east of Holbrook on I-40; the south entrance is 20 miles east of Holbrook on U.S. 180. From Flagstaff, simply take I-40 east.

The Nearest Airport -- Flagstaff's Pulliam Airport (tel. 928/556-1234) is served by Horizon Air and US Airways Express, and has rental cars from Avis, Budget, Hertz, and National.

Information

Contact Petrified Forest National Park, P.O. Box 2217, Petrified Forest National Park, AZ 86028 (tel. 928/524-6228; www.nps.gov/pefo). The Petrified Forest Museum Association, P.O. Box 2277, Petrified Forest, AZ 86028 (tel. 928/524-6228, ext. 239), has several excellent books on the park. Written by retired geology professor Sidney Ash, Petrified Forest: The Story Behind the Scenery provides a good overview of the human and natural history of the park. Stephen Trimble's book Earth Journey: A Road Guide to Petrified Forest is almost as good as a guided tour of the park's scenic drive.

For information about area lodging and dining, contact the Holbrook Chamber of Commerce, 100 E. Arizona St., Holbrook, AZ 86025 (tel. 800/524-2459 or 928/524-6558; www.gotourholbrook.com).

Visitor Centers

The park has a visitor center at each end. Both sell books, videos, and area maps, and offer free brochures on the park's geology, flora, and fauna. Both centers are open daily year-round, from 7am to 7pm in summer, with shorter hours at other times, and both are closed Christmas.

The Painted Desert Visitor Center, outside the park's north entrance gate, has general information on the park and shows a 20-minute film about the park on the hour and the half-hour. Two miles north of the park's south entrance station, the Rainbow Forest Museum shows the same film on the same schedule as the Painted Desert Visitor Center, plus it has displays on the formation of petrified wood, fossilized bones and teeth of ancient animals, and a display of letters from people who stole wood from the park and later regretted it. The latter is particularly compelling and often quite funny.

Fees & Permits

Entrance to the park costs $10 per vehicle, $5 per visitor on foot, bicycle, or motorcycle. The required but free backcountry camping permits are issued at visitor centers.

Special Regulations & Warnings

Because an estimated 25,000 pounds of petrified wood are stolen from the park every year, the National Park Service has adopted a zero-tolerance policy for visitors who remove even the smallest pieces. Violators are subject to fines starting at $325. If rangers suspect you of removing any wood or other resources, they may detain you and search your car.

There are long stretches between water sources at the park, so fill containers at either visitor center before starting on the scenic drive.

While pets must be leashed, dogs are permitted on most trails in the park.