Petrified Forest Road
Petrified Forest Road, the main park road, runs north-south for 28 miles from end to end.
Plan Around Petrified Forest Road
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.
Petrified Forest Road Details
Petrified Forest Road, the main park road, runs north-south for 28 miles from end to end. There's an optional 3.5-mile loop road at Blue Mesa. If you don't make any stops along the way (but you should), the road takes about an hour to drive one-way. Visitors entering the park from the north will leave Interstate 40 at exit 311 and head north to the Painted Desert Visitor Center. A loop north of the Interstate passes eight scenic overlooks for the Painted Desert where drivers can pull off the road, as well as the Painted Desert Inn National Historic Landmark. Heading south after Chinde Point, you will pass an Historic Route 66 exhibit, including the rusted remains of a 1932 Studebaker. There is no access to Interstate 40 from the Route 66 overpass. Puerco Pueblo archaeological site is next on the route, followed by The Tepees and a turnoff for Blue Mesa. You will pass the rest of the park's main sites a little further south: Agate Bridge, Jasper Forest, Crystal Forest, the Rainbow Forest Museum and Giant Logs Trail. The south entrance station delivers visitors to Highway 180, where it's 19 miles west to Holbrook and Interstate 40. The park road is open to bicyclists as well as motorized traffic.
Difficulty
Low
Distance
N/A
Estimated time
N/A
Region
N/A
Nearby Parks Around Petrified Forest Road
Compare nearby parks around Petrified Forest Road when deciding whether to expand the route after this stop.
Nearby Points of Interest Around Petrified Forest Road
Use nearby POIs to quickly expand your options beyond Petrified Forest Road while the map context is still fresh.
0.3 mi away
Painted Desert Visitor Center
Just off Interstate 40 is the Painted Desert Visitor Center, in the north unit of the park.
0.3 mi away
Petrified Forest National Park
The Late Triassic period may have occurred 225 million years ago, but it comes to life again at Petrified Forest National Park.
0.3 mi away
Petrified Forest National Park
The Late Triassic period may have occurred 225 million years ago, but it comes to life again at Petrified Forest National Park.
0.3 mi away
Painted Desert Community Complex
The Painted Desert Community Complex encompasses 23 buildings, sites and structures that make up a self-contained desert community.
0.3 mi away
North Entrance Station
The North Entrance Station for Petrified Forest National Park is just north of Interstate 40 near the park's main visitor center.
