Pintado Point in Petrified Forest National Park

Pintado Point

Pintado Point is the highest point that's accessible from the park road in Petrified Forest National Park.

Plan Around Pintado Point

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Pintado Point Details

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. Heading north and traveling counterclockwise from the visitor center, drivers will come upon Tiponi, No Name, Tawa, Kachina, Chinde, Pintado, Nizhoni, Whipple and Lacey Points, each offering panoramic views and a spot to pull over. Sitting on an ancient volcanic lava flow, Pintado Point is the highest spot in Petrified Forest National Park. The 100-plus-mile views of the desert are reflected in the name: Pintado means "painted" in Spanish. Look for Pilot Rock in the near distance and the San Francisco Peaks on the horizon from a panoramic viewpoint that was once dubbed "350 Degree Knoll."

Difficulty

Low

Distance

N/A

Estimated time

N/A

Region

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Nearby Parks Around Pintado Point

Compare nearby parks around Pintado Point when deciding whether to expand the route after this stop.

1.6 mi away

Petrified Forest

National Park · AZ

146.2 mi away

Grand Canyon

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174.1 mi away

Mesa Verde

National Park · CO

207.5 mi away

Saguaro

National Park · AZ

220.5 mi away

Bryce Canyon

National Park · UT

230.2 mi away

Zion

National Park · UT

Nearby Points of Interest Around Pintado Point

Use nearby POIs to quickly expand your options beyond Pintado Point while the map context is still fresh.

0.4 mi away

Chinde Point

The Navajo word "chinde" means ghost or unwelcome spirit, perhaps a reference to the dinosaur bones found in abundance here.

0.7 mi away

Painted Desert Inn

This inn has spend almost 100 years overlooking the Painted Desert.

0.8 mi away

Painted Desert Rim Trail

The unpaved Painted Desert Rim Trail begins from either Tawa Point or Kachina Point, just north of the Visitor Center in the northern unit of the park.

0.8 mi away

Kachina Point

The Painted Desert Inn National Historic Landmark at Kachina Point once served as a way station for travelers along historic Route 66.

1.0 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.