Field Trip Friday: Petrified Forest National Park

Is it a tree? Is it a rock? At Petrified Forest National Park, the answer to both questions is yes. We left New Mexico and headed west to Arizona to visit several national parks. Petrified Forest National Park was first on our list and it did not disappoint.

(We have been taking advantage of my son’s Every Kid Outdoors Pass and visiting as many National Park sites as possible. For this post, I will use National Park to mean any park site, including historic sites, monuments, etc.)

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Our Suggested Itinerary

There are two visitor centers at Petrified National Park, one at either entrance, and they are twenty-eight miles from visitor’s center to visitor’s center. Due to bad weather the day before, we only had a half-day in the park. We could see most of what we wanted, but if possible, I would recommend a full day if you do a lot of hiking.

There are some excellent trails throughout the park, but if you do not have much time or have people with physical limitations that make hiking difficult, you can still see a great deal from various overlooks.

We started at the park’s south end with the Rainbow Forest Museum and Visitor’s Center. We chose this due to our location, but it worked out perfectly. We visited the visitor’s center to pick up our junior ranger books, took a short hike behind the visitor’s center to learn more about the petrified wood, and then started through the park.

If at all possible, you will want to drive the entire twenty-eight miles through the park. There are many parking lots and “overlooks” where you can see various features. Some you can see right from the parking lot, and others may require a short walk.

There are also some longer hikes available. On the day we were there, it was overcast and rained, so we mostly stuck to shorter hikes to make sure we were not too far away from the van in case the weather worsened.

The south side is very focused on the petrified wood, and there are many pieces you can see and some you can touch. Be sure to grab a map at the visitor’s center to know what is available at each stop; some are just trailheads, others are overlooks, and some have picnic shelters and restrooms. If you were in the park all day, one of these stops would have made a great lunch stop. No food is available on the stretch between the two entrances (except for an ice cream shop).

We personally really enjoyed the Giant Logs and Crystal Forest trails. They were short, relatively easy trails with great up-close views of the petrified trees.

When you cross into the northern side of the park, it is known as the “Painted Desert.” The terrain changes and there are some beautiful scenic overlooks over dessert mesas with brilliant, colorful layers. Even on a cloudy gray day, it was stunning to see.

Along the way is a small museum and national landmark, the Painted Desert Inn. It was closed when we reached it on our visit, so check the current hours of operation if you want to stop there.

At the end of the twenty-eight-mile drive is a second visitor’s center, a lovely gift shop, and a restaurant. If your children have completed their junior ranger booklets along the way, they can turn them in here (you can also get them here and turn them in at the other visitor’s center if you are going in the opposite direction). They also have junior paleontologist booklets you can get, and you work through them at several National Parks sites.

We arrived at this point after the restaurant had closed, but the gift shop had some beautiful (and expensive) pieces of petrified wood. They also had a small box of pieces you could buy that was very reasonable and made a great souvenir. (It is illegal to collect petrified wood from within the park.)

Tips for the Area

If you are finished at the park and looking for a treat, there is a little “hole in the wall” type restaurant in Holbrook, AZ just a short drive from the park called Mr. Maesta’s. We stopped because they had fry bread and Indian tacos. The inside had an eclectic atmosphere with LOTS of vintage decor. We picked up the fry bread and tacos to-go and they were delicious.

If you wish to camp (tent or RV) nearby, check out Homolovi State Park. It was a beautiful park in its own right with some amazing Native American ruins and nice hiking trails. It is also in a great spot to do day trips to several other sites.

Science at Petrified Forest National Park

Petrified Forest National Park is full of science opportunities. There is so much to learn about the petrified wood and the science behind the Painted Desert. Students can learn how different minerals cause the different layers to be different colors. The process of petrification is explained along the short trail behind the visitor’s center (a brochure with more details is available at the trailhead).

There are also exhibits about the different plants and animals that call the area home.

All the displays at national parks present information from an evolutionary point of view. However, as creationists, we still felt there was much to learn from visiting and understanding the basic process. We then added listening to a couple of episodes of Jonathan Park and reading about the Petrified Forest from Answers in Genesis to our learning to help my children understand how the Genesis Flood could have caused the petrified forest.

There is also a little bit of history with a pull-out dedicated to an old Studebaker and the things done by the CCC.

If you get a chance to visit, let me know how you like it. Don’t forget to take your park passport and get it stamped! We have found that the passport is a great way for the children to get a souvenir at each park with no additional expense after the initial purchase.

Where:

Northeastern Arizona

Westbound Interstate 40 travelers should take Exit 311, drive 28 miles through the park, and connect with Highway 180 at the south end. Travel 19 miles on Highway 180 North to return to Interstate 40 via Holbrook.

Eastbound Interstate 40 travelers should take Exit 285 into Holbrook and then travel 19 miles on Highway 180 South to the park’s south entrance. Drive the 28 miles north through the park to return to Interstate 40.

Hours of Operation:

Park Road Hours

Park hours are 8 am to 6 pm.

Visitor Centers and Museum Hours

Painted Desert Visitor Center and Rainbow Forest Museum & Visitor Center

8 am to 5 pm

Painted Desert Inn National Historic Landmark Hours

9 am to 4 pm

Costs:

$25 per vehicle (or $15 for an individual) or Free with a pass

Homeschool Discount: n/a

Website: https://www.nps.gov/pefo/index.htm

Food:

There is an ice cream store at the Painted Dessert Inn and a restaurant at the north entrance. (Also, see my note above about some great fry bread a short drive from the park.)

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