
Agate House Trail
This 2-mile roundtrip hike begins at the Rainbow Forest Museum parking area and visits the archeological Agate House structure.
Plan Around Agate House Trail
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Agate House Trail Details
This 2-mile roundtrip hike begins at the Rainbow Forest Museum parking area and visits the historic Agate House. The eight-room pueblo was built of petrified wood and was occupied sometime between 1050 A.D. and 1300 A.D., near what were then agricultural fields and more petrified wood deposits. The size of the building and time that would have gone into building Agate House indicates that it was most likely a year-round residence for one family, and it may have served as a meeting place for the surrounding community. There are few artifacts to be found here, however, which suggests that it was not occupied for long. The first half-mile of the trail is paved and suitable for strollers and wheelchairs; the rest of the trail is composed of a rough surface, but can still be negotiated with assistance. Long Logs and Agate House Trails can be combined for a total of 2.6 miles (4.2 km) round trip.
Difficulty
Low
Distance
2 miles
Estimated time
Region
N/A
Nearby Parks Around Agate House Trail
Compare nearby parks around Agate House Trail when deciding whether to expand the route after this stop.
Nearby Points of Interest Around Agate House Trail
Use nearby POIs to quickly expand your options beyond Agate House Trail while the map context is still fresh.
0.3 mi away
Agate House
The Native American Puebloan people who called Petrified Forest National Park home used the park's petrified wood for purposes including as building material for houses.
0.4 mi away
Long Logs Trail
This 1.6-mile loop trail begins at the Rainbow Forest Museum parking area.
0.4 mi away
Jim Camp Wash
The middle Jim Camp Wash beds are made up of of blue, gray, and purple mudstone, and numerous small gray and white sandstone beds.
0.6 mi away
Rainbow Forest Museum
Rainbow Forest Museum near the south entrance of the park offers exhibits of petrified wood, fossils and dioramas of prehistoric animals that lived in the park.
0.6 mi away
Giant Logs Trail
This .4-mile loop trail begins behind Rainbow Forest Museum, where there's a trail guide available.