This Peaceful, Uncrowded National Park in Arizona Is the Next Big Thing in Slow Travel

The Petrified Forest National Park in Arizona is a 135,000-acre marvel showcasing millions of years of history (including more than 13,000 years of human history and culture). Visitors can experience its tranquil beauty and admire its wide variety of Triassic-era fossils. It’s a year-round destination featuring plenty to see, close to the historic Route 66 roadway in northeastern Arizona. Plus, it’s one of the only National Parks that allows pets on its trails, so you can bring your furry family members with you on the adventure. 

The park has two main sections: the scenic Painted Desert area to the north, and the area that boasts the famous clusters of petrified wood at the south end. The park has no shuttle system, so it’s best explored via car. It’s about halfway between Phoenix and Albuquerque (3.5 hours from each).  

When I arrived at the park, my first stop was the Visitor's Center, where I got a map showcasing various spots to stop and see cultural, historical, and scenic landmarks on my drive through the terrain. It was a helpful guide to exploring the territory! 

Explore on Wheels

This peaceful stretch of land is perfect for traversing by car any time of year. The main park road stretches 28 miles and only takes about one hour to drive. I enjoyed following along on the map and pulling over to see specific sights, such as the spur off to Newspaper Rock and the Painted Desert Inn. Bicycles (including e-bikes) are allowed on the park's paved roadways for those interested in cycling across the park.

Trek on Foot

Don’t miss the chance to get some steps in, on one of the park's many beautiful pathways. Most of the trails are two miles long or less. They can be a great way to experience a relaxed adventure or a quick half-day pitstop to stretch your legs along an existing road trip route. 

When I stopped here on a road trip between New Mexico and Arizona, I explored the Crystal Forest Trail with my dog on a leash. This quick, relatively flat loop trail is short but sweet, traveling 0.8 miles along a well-marked pathway. There is no shortage of stunning spots to stop and admire the collection of petrified wood pieces scattered across the fringes of this trail. I took many photos with the crystallized trees and encountered a few other people on this well-trafficked, non-isolated pathway.  

Another easy, 0.5-mile loop trail is the Giant Logs Trail. The quick, 10-minute trek can be found right behind the Rainbow Forest Museum. This trail is a mixture of paved and gravel surfaces, and features a clear and accessible pathway to see some beautiful pieces of petrified wood.

No matter what trail you take, make sure to follow the “Leave No Trace” principles, especially the “leave what you find” principle. This means leaving the petrified wood and rock pieces where you see them. Plus, it’s widely agreed amongst superstitious folks that legend says it causes terrible luck to take a piece of the petrified wood away from this land. In fact, many visitors who have removed petrified wood have even sent back the wood in an effort to reverse their fortune.  

Listen to the Audio Tour

Learn about your surroundings by downloading the park’s audio tour, which features information about multiple stops along the roadway. You can even download it onto your device to listen to if you don't have a cell phone connection. You can download two versions of the audio tour, based on which park entrance you begin driving from. One tour starts at the park's north end, and one begins from the south end. 

Backpacking

There are no formal campgrounds for RVs or car camping in this park—only “backpacking” via hiking into specific, designated Petrified Forest National Wilderness Areas open to campers (at least a half mile from your car). You must have a backpacking wilderness permit, which is free to obtain at the visitor centers until 4:30 p.m. (either at the Painted Desert Visitor Center or Rainbow Forest Museum), on the day you’ll be spending the night. Every individual vehicle with backpackers must have a permit. It’s also important to note that group camping is limited to eight people to protect the natural landscapes by restricting the number of people within a specific area at one time.

Horseback Riding 

Another unique adventure to enjoy inside the National Park is horseback riding. Whether you’re saddling up for just a few hours or a few days, you can head two miles north of the Painted Desert Visitor Center, where the Painted Desert Wilderness access trail is located (near Kachina Point), on the northwest side of Painted Desert Inn. This is where you’ll find trailer parking and enough space for loading/unloading without the stress of getting in the way of traffic. It’s important to note there are no real “maintained” trails for riding, and no access to water along the way, so pack and bring what you need and be aware of the changing conditions.  

Have you enjoyed the Petrified Forest National Park in Arizona on a slow travel adventure? For more ways to explore the great outdoors, check out these other beautiful, short hikes in Arizona, which offer a quick and scenic adventure, or these hikes along the water in Arizona that can keep you cool in the summer.