Have only one hour to explore Petrified Forest National Park? Half a day? One full day? I have itineraries to meet your need! Some focus on hiking, while others take you scenic driving to viewpoints (who wants to hike when it’s over 100F in August?)
In this post, I’ll talk about what to do with 1 hour to half a day in Petrified Forest National Park. To minimize scrolling, if you want to read about how to spend a full day in the park, or if you want an itinerary to hike the very best of Petrified Forest National Park (it’ll take you 5 days!), click here.
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Before we begin, a few important things about Petrified Forest National Park
Petrified Forest National Park is only open during operating hours. These vary across the year (they’re based on daylight and historic visitation levels). When the park is closed, you cannot enter it, and park staff asks that you be in your vehicle on the way to the exit by closing time. (And yes, they do sweep the park.)
The entry fee for Petrified Forest National Park is currently (2026) $25/vehicle, valid 7 days. America the Beautiful National Parks & Federal Public Lands Passes and Petrified Forest Annual Passes are accepted. Despite being legal tender, the park does not accept cash payments.
There is no lodging inside the park. Backpackers can get a free permit to camp in the park’s wilderness areas at the Visitor Center or the Rainbow Forest Museum (there are places you can park overnight, for example, at the Painted Desert Inn, but only if you have a backpacking permit and are actually backpacking – boondocking or sleeping in your vehicle is not permitted).
There are snack bars at the Rainbow Forest Museum and the Visitor Center. However, you should plan to bring your own food, as options are limited and expensive. At some times of year, the Painted Desert Inn sells ice cream.
Restrooms and water can be found at the Visitor Center and the Rainbow Forest Museum. Vault toilets are available at Puerco Pueblo.
Maps Legend:
Yellow pin = petrified wood
Red pin = visitor center/visitor services
Purple pin = historic, rock art
Blue pin = overlook
Green pin = badlands
Black pin = paved road
Dark gray pin = 2WD unpaved road
Light gray pin = 4×4 unpaved road
And with all that out of the way, let’s get to the itineraries!
1 Hour in Petrified Forest National Park (North – Painted Desert)
It’s easy to visit the Painted Desert in an hour because the park entrance is right off the highway. To make the most of your time:
Visit the Visitor Center (for souvenirs+the park film)
Drive to the Painted Desert Inn and walk out to Kachina Point
Walk along the Rim Trail if desired
Continue driving along the rim as time allows, stopping at the overlooks along the way.
1 Hour in Petrified Forest National Park (South – Rainbow Forest)
It takes about half an hour to get to the park from the highway, so it’s more difficult to visit the park in an hour. However, if you have an hour to explore the park (plus an hour for round trip travel time), here’s what I would do:
Visit the Rainbow Forest Museum for souvenirs and the park film (be sure to look up and see the dinosaur skeletons!)
For a long hike, walk from the parking lot up to the Long Logs & Agate House
For a short hike, drive to the Crystal Forest Trail
If you don’t want to hike much at all, take the Giant Logs Trail.
Keep driving north as time allows.
1 Hour in Petrified Forest National Park (Full Park)
The itinerary can be done backwards if driving I-40 from the west.
Drive from one end of the main park road to the other, which takes about an hour.
Stop at the Painted Desert Inn and walk to Kachina Point
Stop at the Blue Mesa Drive and see the Blue Mesa Overlook
Stop at the Rainbow Forest Museum (watch the park film if you have time) and walk up to Old Faithful Log
Half a Day in Petrified Forest National Park (Scenic Driving & Viewpoints)
Half a day is an optimal amount of time to see the park if you don’t want to do any hiking. Reverse the itinerary if coming from the west on I-40.
Visit the Visitor Center (for souvenirs+the park film)
Stop at the painted desert overlooks – Tiponi Point, Tatáypi Point (an unmarked pulloff at 35.077268°, -109.782299°), and Tawa Point (down a short access road)
Drive to the Painted Desert Inn and walk out to Kachina Point
Stop at the rest of the Painted Desert overlooks: Chinde Point (down a short access road at the Hózhó Picnic Area), Pintado Point, Nizhoni Point, Whipple Point, and Lacy Point
Look at the old car at the Route 66 Exhibit
Walk to Puerco Pueblo or Newspaper Rock
Stop and look at the Tepees
Drive the Blue Mesa Road, stopping to look at the pulloffs (especially the Blue Mesa Overlook)
Take the short access road and walk to Agate Bridge
Drive another short access road to Jasper Forest Overlook
Walk to the sun shelter at the Crystal Forest (the best petrified logs you’ll see)
Visit the Rainbow Forest Museum
Walk to the Old Faithful Log on the Giant Logs Trail
If you’re short on time, skip some of the Painted Desert Overlooks – Tawa Point, Kachina Point, and Lacy Point are the best. You can also skip Puerco Pueblo/Newspaper Rock.
Half a day in Petrified Forest National Park (Hiking Version)
Want to hike Petrified Forest, but only have half a day? I have a great itinerary for you! (An itinerary you can do from the bottom up if you happen to be coming from the west on I-40!)
Visit the Visitor Center (for souvenirs+the park film)
Drive to the Painted Desert Inn. Walk out to Kachina Point, then take the Rim Trail to Tawa Point (or as far as you want)
Keep driving on the Main Park Road. Stop at the Route 66 Exhibit to see the old car.
Hike around Puerco Pueblo
Drive the Blue Mesa Drive and hike the Blue Mesa Trail (consistently ranked as the best hike in the park by visitors)
Walk the Crystal Forest Trail (the best official trail in the park for petrified wood in my highly biased opinion)
Drive to the Rainbow Forest Museum (for restrooms – you’ll want them by this point)
Hike the Long Logs Trail & Agate House Trail
If you feel this isn’t ambitious enough, you have a couple of options. First, you can also hike the Giant Logs Trail (at the Rainbow Museum) or take one of two off-trail routes: Historic Blue Forest (better for pretty badlands) or Jasper Forest (better for petrified wood). Second, you can stop any any of the viewpoints listed in the Half Day Scenic Drives section.
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