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.
Plan Around Historic Route 66
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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.
Historic Route 66 Details
Immortalized in the 1946 song, "Get Your Kicks on Route 66," a portion of this legendary road runs through Petrified Forest National Park. Established in 1926, the 2,448-mile Route 66 connected Chicago to Los Angeles, and soon became known as the Mother Road. Dust Bowl migrants used the road during the 1930s to move west, and many businesses, including gas stations, hotels, and restaurants, sprang up to serve travelers. Although portions of the road are still drivable, the interstate highway system had largely replaced the road by 1985. Petrified Forest is the only national park containing a section of Historic Route 66. The road ran through the heart of the Painted Desert, and the Painted Desert Inn made for a popular stop. Nowadays, a 1932 Studebaker President Eight sits where the road once cut through the park, and there are Route 66 geocaching opportunities for visitors, as well. The eastern section of the highway route is open to bicyclists.
Difficulty
Low
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Nearby Parks Around Historic Route 66
Compare nearby parks around Historic Route 66 when deciding whether to expand the route after this stop.
Nearby Points of Interest Around Historic Route 66
Use nearby POIs to quickly expand your options beyond Historic Route 66 while the map context is still fresh.
0.3 mi away
Interstate 40 (I-40)
Running east-west, Interstate 40 (I-40) bisects the park into northern and southern units.
0.8 mi away
Lacey Point
Visitors who enter Petrified Forest National Park at the north entrance can head north past a number of scenic overlooks, each providing a view of the Painted Desert.
1.2 mi away
Whipple Point
Whipple Point was named for U.S. Army Lt. Amiel Whipple, who passed this way in 1853 on a surveying mission.
1.4 mi away
Nizhoni Point
Visitors who enter Petrified Forest National Park at the north entrance can head north past a number of scenic overlooks, each providing a view of the Painted Desert.
1.5 mi away
Petrified Forest Road
Petrified Forest Road, the main park road, runs north-south for 28 miles from end to end.
