The Petrified Forest National Park is located in Arizona and has a north and south entrance. The visitor center is at the north entrance which can be accessed from Interstate 40, exit 311. The south entrance is located 26 miles from Holbrook, Arizona on US 180. The road traveling through the Petrified Forest is approximately 27 miles long and there are many opportunities along the road to see petrified logs and other petrified wood in the area.

Traveling Through the
Petrified Forest

You can travel through the Petrified Forest by bicycle, RV, car or in a commercial tour vehicle. Typically it takes less than an hour to travel through the park and visitors can take as much time as they need to travel through as long as it is within the operating hours of the park.

The operating hours vary by season from 7:00 AM to 7:00 PM being the longest available time span from May 9th - September 6th. The park is open every day except Christmas and access may be limited during periods of snow or ice accumulation. The entrance fee for the park is $10 for private vehicles and $5 for motorcycles and bicycles.

Petrified Wood

Petrified wood is found across the United States but the Petrified Forest National Park has one of the most diverse collections in the country. There are also many fossils in the par wit over 200 fossil plants scattered across the Petrified Forest.

Visitors should not remove any wood or fossils from the Petrified Forest and strict penalties are enforced for those who are caught removing items from the Petrified Forest National Park. There are stores in the area that sell petrified wood, however this petrified wood was taken from privately owned land nearby.

The Painted Desert at
the Petrified Forest

The Painted Desert Visitor Center
The Painted Desert Visitor Center is located at the north entrance to the Petrified Forest. The visitor center provides information on both the Painted Desert and the Petrified Forest. The Visitor center also has backcountry permits, an orientation movie, bookstore, exhibits, gift shop, gas station and a restaurant. The Painted Desert is next to the Petrified Forest and visitors are urged to take advantage of the close proximity and visit the Painted Desert.

Petrified Forest
Hotels in the Area

If you are going to need lodging during your visit, the Town of Holbrook has a number of reasonably priced hotel rooms available. The hotels in Holbrook such as the Travelodge, Best Western, Days Inn, Holiday Inn and the Super 8 are all National hotels with reasonable rates. Holbrook is located approximately 27 miles from the Petrified Forest