Petrified Forest National Park

"Fantastic Vistas! I didn't have a whole lot of time here, because of travel deadlines, but I did drive through pretty much the entirety of the park, stop at vistas, do a little bit of walking on trails, and visit the visitor center. I think that much of the park design took into account that people may be driving through and the main route is accommodating to that. You can get a map at the visitor center and stop at the attractions that most catch your eye. The most amazing thing for me wasn't actually the many pieces of petrified wood, so much as the landscape colors contrasting with the blue sky. It's a very photogenic park."

"This is a very unique national park. The huge trunks of petrified wood with beautiful colors of crystals inside is just a must see. I am very happy they made this a national park because prior people were chipping into those trunks and taking it. It’s a bit of a drive from one side to the other but interesting and beautiful stops along the way. I loved it."

"Petrified Forest National Park was a true highlight of our national parks tour. There was so much to see and do, and nothing was closed for the winter. It is a good idea to stop at the visitor center to get all the info about the trails and hikes. We chose to do the off-the-beaten-path hikes. But to get the maps, you must talk to the rangers. They will give you explicit directions to keep you from getting lost. We did one hike at Blue Mesa where we climbed up the mesa to look down on a beautiful canyon; the other was a wonderful trek thru the Painted Dessert and a prairie to see the Onyx bridge. It was a pretty long drive between hiking spots but there was a visitor center on both ends. Also, there were overlooks along the way to stop and take photos or use the bathroom. The landscape diversity was incredible, and each hike was an adventure. We had no idea this amazing park existed in our country... Need to visit again to see it all. ."

"We were in Greer and I saw that the Petrified Forest was only 2 hours north so we made it a point to visit. It cost $25 to take our vehicle in and this pass is good for 7 days. The park is very dog friendly even at the Crystal Forest Museum and Gift shop. Can't say enough nice things about the owners there that I'll post about separately. There were around 10 different stops throughout the park to see different land markings and petrified wood. Many of the sites had paved areas to allow for wheelchairs and strollers. Ample temporary parking on the side of the road to pull over to take photos. We only had enough time to see the south part of the park and we weren't able to hike back in certain areas due to the park closing at 5:30. So go early or plan to make two trips to really see it all. Really neat to see the information tablets that give a description of what each site is about. Definitely worth seeing how these trees turned into stone and how the people that used to live in the area managed. Notable information: Dog stations for bags located at certain stops Clean restrooms at several locations. View points clearly marked for best viewing Gift shops have snacks, restrooms and lots of unique gifts. Ample parking and ease to get from each site"

"Petrified Forest NP is awesome and well-worth the trek out to visit it. We stayed in Phoenix and drove over 3 hours one way to spend the day in the park. Currently (November 2023), the main visitor center is being remodeled, so there is a temporary one in a different building. The visitor center, cafeteria, and store occupy an old school. The volunteers working in the visitor center were very helpful in explaining the layout of the park, explaining how long it would take to drive to the furthest point (Painted Desert Visitor Center to Rainbow Bridge Visitor Center is about an hour's drive) and how long it would take to get out of the car and view each stop the park offers, including drive time (3-4 hours). She was right on with her estimation as well. It was rainy and cold the day of our visit, which turned out to be a good thing since the rain intensified the colors of the petrified wood as well as the badlands. The colors of the sediment making up the badlands was otherworldly- red in one part of the park (near Painted Desert Inn) and lilac in the rest of the park. There are plenty of placards at each stop detailing the destination- wildlife, history, and geography. I also spotted a few signs (ones I've never seen before) warning visitors to be in their car after 5:30pm to avoid getting eaten by coyotes. The only wildlife we spotted were crows, but we took the warning seriously and stayed in the car after 5:30. That's the time the sun set during our visit and the temperature dropped quickly, so we weren't missing out even if we had wanted to be outside of the car. Only an hour's drive from beginning to end (though you have to drive back to the entrance) and a vast array of landscapes, dating back hundreds of millions of years."