3 to 4 hours (approx.)
Daily Tour
4 people
English
Discover the timeless beauty of Petrified Forest National Park with this self-guided driving tour. Journey through an ancient landscape where once-lush forests have turned to stone and vibrant desert vistas stretch as far as the eye can see. Explore trails that wind through the park, revealing a land frozen in time and bursting with geological wonders. Unearth the history of this unique landscape, filled with prehistoric creatures, early human inhabitants, and fascinating fossils. Purchase one tour per car, not per person. Everyone explores together! After booking, check your email to download the separate Audio Tour Guide App by Action, enter your unique password, and access your tour. These steps require good internet/Wi-Fi access. From there, follow the audio instructions and the route. New, extra validity — now yours for an entire year! Use multiple times over multiple trips! This isn't an entrance ticket. Check opening hours before your visit.
Our tour begins at the Painted Desert Visitor Center at 1 Park Rd. If you’re not there already, you should head there now.
Note: This 28+mile-long tour covers the essentials of Petrified in 2-3 hours.
5 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
Coming up soon is the Painted Desert Rim Trail, an easy 1-mile hike that takes around 25 minutes.
25 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
You’ll have the opportunity to see the Painted Desert Inn. This abandoned hotel dates back to the early 1900s and offers a fascinating glimpse into early tourism in the region.
5 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
Pintado Point is coming up in just a moment. As the highest overlook in the park, it offers a 360-degree view of the Painted Desert badlands. But how exactly did these badlands form?
5 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
“Nizhoni” means beautiful in Navajo, a name that describes the first overlook perfectly.
5 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
Lacey Point is just ahead, named after Iowa Congressman John Lacey. Lacey spent his congress years working tirelessly to protect plants and wildlife.
5 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
Petrified Forest is the only national park that contains a section of Historic Route 66, that essential piece of Americana.
5 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
This prominent embodiment of the Blue Mesa layer is covered in rock carvings called petroglyphs.
5 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
This moderately challenging 2.4-mile roundtrip route takes around an hour to complete.
1 hour • Admission Ticket Free
10-minute detour to the Blue Mesa Trail. The views that color this easy 1-mile loop trail make it a hugely popular stop for most visitors. The trail itself takes about 25 minutes.
25 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
The “bridge” in question here is actually a 110-foot-long petrified log spanning a gully! With each end firmly embedded in sandstone, this petrified log forms a sturdy natural bridge.
5 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
Jasper Forest, an incredible garden of petrified wood. The logs aren’t actually jasper, but they do look like it!
5 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
This 15-minute, easy trail features intact petrified logs with quartz crystals that sparkle in the sun.
15 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
Once the heart of the Petrified Forest National Monument, the Rainbow Forest Museum acts as one of the earliest facilities.
5 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
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