The Devil's Playground
The Devil's Playground is open, by free permit only, for exploration.
Plan Around The Devil's Playground
A good stop is not just something to read about. Once it belongs on the day, move into a saved trip and build the route around it.
Use this detail page to confirm that the stop is worth it, then carry that decision into a trip draft while the park context is still fresh.
The Devil's Playground Details
Until spring of 2014, the Devil's Playground was only accessible via a six-mile backcountry hike across the Painted Desert, via Kachina Point. With the expansion of park lands, however, a new route to the Devil's Playground cuts the distance of the hike by two-thirds, although the hike continues to be over open desert on unmarked trails. This area in the southwest part of Petrified Forest National Wilderness Area features a highly eroded landscape of rocks and mesas. Permits are available at the Painted Desert Visitor Center on a very limited basis, three per week on a first-come-first-serve basis. Instructions on how to get to Devil's Playground are given with the permit. Call (928) 524-6228, extension 236 to find out the status of the weeks' permits.
Difficulty
Low
Distance
N/A
Estimated time
Region
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Nearby Parks Around The Devil's Playground
Compare nearby parks around The Devil's Playground when deciding whether to expand the route after this stop.
Nearby Points of Interest Around The Devil's Playground
Use nearby POIs to quickly expand your options beyond The Devil's Playground while the map context is still fresh.
1.3 mi away
Wildhorse Wash
Wildhorse Wash runs through the southwest portion of the park's northern unit.
4.2 mi away
Adamana Ghost Town
The village of Adamana, about four miles south of I-40 and west of the park's southern unit, was established in 1890 by the Santa Fe Railroad Company.
5.1 mi away
Historic Route 66
Immortalized in the 1946 song "Get Your Kicks on Route 66," a portion of this legendary road runs through Petrified Forest National Park.
5.1 mi away
Interstate 40 (I-40)
Running east-west, Interstate 40 (I-40) bisects the park into northern and southern units.
5.4 mi away
Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad
Originally serving as a thoroughfare for the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway, the train tracks running through Petrified Forest National Park now service the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway.
