Petrified Forest National Park, Arizona

Best known for globally significant Late Triassic fossils, the park attracts geologists, paleontologists, archaeologists, historians, and biologists, just to name a few. The park is also haven for those searching for scenic vistas, wilderness, hiking, dark skies, and beautiful, vast landscapes. Discover your own passion at Petrified Forest!

Travel through the park is by private vehicle, bicycle, motorcycle, or commercial tour only. The park road, parking lots, and pull outs are suitable for large recreation vehicles, including those towing smaller vehicles. Off road vehicle travel is not allowed within the park, including mountain bikes. Travel time through the park is at least 45 minutes, though an average visit is 2-3 hours with stops at viewpoints or trails along the park road.

Petrified Forest has much to offer all visitors; limitless views, a fascinating geologic story, some of the cleanest air in the United States, and an enthralling human history. The park also features rugged terrain and historic buildings that may offer challenges to visitors with disabilities.

Outdoor park activities include sightseeing, walking trails with your pet on a leash, photography, hiking, EarthCaching, horseback riding, backpacking, photography, and wildlife and bird watching. The park also has over 52,000 acres of designated wilderness you can explore.

Did you know that Petrified Forest is the only national park that protects a section of Route 66 within its boundaries? Historically Route 66 brought visitors along the rim of the scenic Painted Desert.

Petrified Forest National Park EarthCache Program! This National Park Service-sponsored recreational activity leads you to some of the park's significant geological resources. Using your own Global Positioning System (GPS) unit and a set of clues obtained from this website and hidden along the journey, you can guide yourself to a series of sites in the park.

What is Geocaching?
Geocaching is a worldwide game of hiding and seeking treasure. A geocacher can place a geocache in the world, pinpoint its location using GPS technology and then share the geocache's existence and location online. Anyone with a GPS device can then try to locate the geocache.

What is an EarthCache?
An EarthCache is a special place that people can visit to learn about a unique geoscience feature or aspect of our Earth. EarthCaches include a set of educational notes and the details about where to find the location (latitude and longitude). There is no physical (traditional) geocache involved in an EarthCache! Visitors to EarthCaches can see how our planet has been shaped by geological processes, how we manage the resources and how scientists gather evidence to learn about the Earth.

Painted Desert Visitor Center provides information, book sales, exhibits, and restrooms. Timeless Impressions, a free orientation film about the park, is shown every half hour. A restaurant, gift shop, gas station, and convenience store are adjacent to the visitor center.

Painted Desert Inn National Historic Landmark, located at Kachina Point, once served as a respite for travelers along historic Route 66. From the inn, you may view distant vistas and exhibits while touring this historic building.

Rainbow Forest Museum provides exhibits of petrified wood, fossils, and displays of prehistoric animals as well as information, book sales, and restrooms. Timeless Impressions, a free orientation film about the park, is shown every half hour. A gift shop and a seasonal snack bar are located nearby.

Let Rawhide Travel and Tours help you with all your reservation needs. Call us at (602) 843-5100 or visit our website: rawhidetravel.com.

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Rawhide Travel and Tours Inc
6008 West Bell Rd # F105
Glendale, Arizona 85308-3793
(602) 843-5100
rawhidetravel.com