What a cool park!…read more We have a lifetime parks pass, so it's been great to be able to explore when we can. We spent about 1/2 day here - drove to many of the overlooks for some very cool views. Followed someone recommendation to hike the Blue Mesa and truly felt like we were walking on the moon. Very cool colors and petrified logs lying around. It's about a mile; so quite a short hike but you are 'up close and personal' with nature. Take the time to walk thru the museum at the Inn (there's also clean restrooms here and an ice cream shop). They've done a great job preserving the original furniture and such. The parking lots at many of the stops had several spots for RV's and could accommodate towing as well. Clean restrooms thru out the park too A tip would be to hike in the morning as the afternoons can get pretty toasty and windy

I am a big fan of national parks and am also a big fan of keeping them fully budgeted and staffed…read more If you have ever been to a national park, you know that they get a ton of visitors from other countries. These foreign folks love our national parks for good reason. Americans should also appreciate them. Now, this is probably not one of the "must do" national parks. It is not a Yosemite or a Yellowstone. There is no camping here and much of the park is entirely experienced by driving around in your car. There are a few hiking spots, some better than others. There are two entrances and there is only one road between them. It is impossible to get lost, although there are a few turnoffs. You drive from one entrance to the other and then you are done. Apparently, some people drive through the park, never leave their car, and spend about an hour in total here. It seems crazy to me to visit a national park in one hour and I do not recommend it. Do one or more of the hikes. Get out and experience a few of the overlooks. The Blue Mesa portion of the park is incredible. That was probably the highlight of the park for me. The color of the hills is just surreal. It is like you landed on Mars. You will, of course, see petrified (or "fossilized") wood here. It is multi-colored beautiful stuff. The visitor center on the north end is much better than the one at the south end. There is a cafe at the north visitor center, better souvenirs, and also the Painted Desert Inn where you can experience a bit of history from about a 100 years ago. Spend some time here whether you are just entering the park or leaving it. I would plan on spending about three or four hours here, especially if you do at least one good hike and stop at most of the overlooks. If you did all the hikes and all the overlooks and bring a lunch (there are no picnic or lunch areas, by the way), you could probably spend the entire day here. Half a day, including one long hike, was fine for us and I feel like we saw all of the highlights. I hate to give any area of land less than 5 stars through no fault of its own but this is not one of the more spectacular national parks in the country. But if you are in the area, it is worth a visit.

The Petrified Forest is known for its fossils, but the sediments (Chinle Formation) that encase the…read morepetrified wood are also just as beautiful! The northern part of the national park really focuses on the badlands. I unfortunately didn't have time to do the trail here, but there are many pullouts and viewpoints along the road so you do get a taste of the beauty right from the road. If you're a more experienced hiker, you can backpack this area after getting a permit. There are ancestral Pueblo structures and petrogylphs here in addition to the petrified wood. This is definitely worth a stop!

The Painted Desert is a badlands area in the northern part of Petrified Forest National Park. I…read morelove this beautiful part of the park. This colorful Chinle Formation consists of a variety of sedimentary rocks on cliffs, hills, mesas and buttes. Its pretty colors is why it is called the Painted Desert. The Painted Desert stretches all the way to the east end of Grand Canyon National Park. There are some overlooks off the main road that allow you to see an overview of the area. There are also some hiking trails. The map at the overlook gives you information on far away many of points of interest are. Painted Desert Inn National Historic Landmark is nearby and has a lot of history to it. The original building from the early 1920's was made of petrified wood. Today it is a museum that showcases the history of the building, historic Route 66 that once passed through here and the Civilian Conservation Corps. The Painted Desert Visitor Center is also nearby with park rangers on hand for information.

I had never stayed in an AZ. State Park before but it was really a relaxing sweet spot to spend the…read morenight on our way to Verde Valley. Cute groupings of mules and/or donkeys meandering on the landscape in groups within the park boundary. I love animals so that is always great to see! It was an uncrowded park and truly very beautiful. The Visitor Center, where you go to register if you are planning on camping, was very educational and the park employees we spoke with were both extremely friendly, helpful and informative. We did the driving tour, where it takes you to the 3 ruins. We got out at each stop to walk the paths and continued listening to the excellent tour on our iPhones. Much to learn about those ruins and the people who came to make it their home. The campground was well kept up, power, water, waste station, and sweet views. There were also bathrooms on site for tent campers. I felt very safe there. I loved the peaceful open space with lots of wind, sun, moon and friendly campers. Highly recommend! Suggestion: Make sure you take & drink plenty of water because it's AZ. and temps can be extremely hot in the summer. PLEASE RESPECT the land you are on there- do not under any circumstances disturb the sites or take any pottery chards. Stay on the walking paths and be respectful of this sacred place. Enjoy your visit!

Wow! First impression, we never felt this intense volume of quiet ever! You don't even hear the…read morewind blowing. The middle of nowhere! I mean really nowhere! Second impression - how could such a sophisticated culture live in such a desolate area? Yes, there is water nearby, but the vastness and isolation of it all is intriguing and astonishing. This vast 4k acre area is a preserve, research and archeological hub, of a more than 1,100 to 900-year-old Hopi civilization, and holds an overwhelming amount of specimens of Pueblo/Hopi debris, pottery and dwellings paraphernalia. At an estimated 4,900 feet above sea level, your 360° panoramic view of the surrounds and plateaus below to the far horizon are nothing but spectacular, miles and miles of nothing but desert. The small yet well-endowed and instructional little museum offers a great insight of what your surrounded by at Homolovi Ruins - and the staff are exceptionally nice folk. It is a terrific starter before going out on your own to encounter southwestern antiquity at its most natural. As a whole, this is a unique, intriguing and instructional excursion into the realm of the past when taken and that will never be forgotten.

Photos don't do this trail justice since they are either way too oversaturated or washed out in my…read moreopinion. You have to experience the real thing to make your own judgement. This is a 1 mile loop trail that descends among the badland hills through the blue clay. I've never seen clay as blue before. There's also petrified wood here embedded in the soil. It felt cool to be able to descend through the layers of time and see all the stripes. At the bottom, the hills are hulking and imposing. It really makes you feel minuscule, while at the top you get a nice view of the undulating badlands. The trail is steep in sections. There's also very little shade on the trail (the trailhead does have a sun shelter with benches), so have sun protection and bring water.

Well worth the very easy, leisure .8 mile walk. Beautiful views of petrified wood. Just a beautiful…read morejourney back into time.

It's a beautiful place with space between each site. There are great sunrise and sunset views,…read morealmost every morning we were there. The Homolovi ll was a great trail early in the day, it was exciting to see all the ruins, imagine what the buildings looked like and what life was like back in the day. The washrooms were decent, the shower heads could use some work as water went everywhere. But the pressure was good and it was nice and hot. I would definitely recommend this park to others. It's a quick jump into Winslow if anything is needed.

Historic spot with an informative visitor's center. Pay the State Park fee of $7 at the center, get…read morea map, and head out on a couple of trails to see ruins of one of the largest native American settlements, abandoned in the 1300s. There was also a mormon settlement nearby. Be sure and check out the diorama in the restroom at the center. Inside the state park is a nice view campground with full hookups, pull through sites, and water at each site. Flush toilets and showers are available.

Located in Petrified Forest National Park, this building is made of petrified wood and other native…read morestone. It blends harmoniously in with the surrounding badlands. There's a gift shop, small visitor center, exhibits about the Inn, a small ice cream parlor, and bathrooms here. One room serves as an NPS ranger station, since the Painted Desert Visitor center in the Painted Desert Community Complex is currently closed for renovation. It's kind of small, but it's ok since you're probably more involved in taking in the breathtaking desert views. I'm glad that the NPS is preserving this building, even though it's built on unstable soil, so they have to do a lot of maintenance and upkeep so it doesn't collapse. Even if you don't appreciate the historical value, it's still a cool building to look at and walk through.

The Painted Desert is one of my favorite spots at Petrified Forest National Park. I love the…read morebeautiful colors on the cliffs, hills, mesas and buttes. There are several places for people to enjoy these gorgeous views. The Painted Desert is a badlands area in the northern part of the park. It stretches all the way to the east end of Grand Canyon National Park. The Painted Desert Inn National Historic Landmark is located here and has a lot of history to it. We made a stop here and checked out the gift shop and some of the artifacts that they have on display. The Painted Desert Inn was called the Stone Tree House back in the 1920s. It was a place for visitors to buy food, drinks and American Indian arts and crafts. It was built of mostly petrified wood. Petrified Forest National Monument (before it became a national park) purchased the building once it started showing signs of wear and tear. It was redesigned with a Pueblo Revival Style design to it and reopened in 1940. The Painted Desert Inn supplied Route 66 travelers with lodging, meals and souvenirs during its heyday. It went through more renovations and repairs to look like what it is today. Today, the Painted Desert Inn is a museum that showcases the history of the building, information about the historic Route 66 (it once passed through here), and the Civilian Conservation Corps. The Painted Desert Visitor Center is down the road with a park ranger on hand if you need information about Petrified Forest National Park. There is also a park ranger here at Painted Desert Inn.

Wonderful park with a 2 mile scenic scenic loop trail taking you by inscriptions in the rock dating…read moreback to the 1800's.

El Morro is an unexpected and therefore under visited national park site. Because of this, it is…read moreeven more worth the visit. Well off the modern beaten path, it was much less so over 150 years ago. Travelers of all kinds "pasó por aqui" (passed through here), leaving inscriptions on the rock face while seeking refuge from the harsh desert environment. The water pool oasis at the base of the jutting rock face fills only from precipitation and never dries. It's been a waypoint for at least a millennium. If you are less inclined to the post-colonial history, you'll still be happy to visit here. Pueblo dwelling walls of stone still remain just beside the Headland/Mesa Top Trail that takes you up to the top of this landmark for a high view over the surrounding plains and even down into the so-called Box Canyon. The original carvings in the sandstone predate settlers as petroglyphs featuring animals that once roamed here. The visitor center is very informative with friendly staff, a small museum, and a short film about site history. Naturally, a gift shop seals the deal with plenty of gifts and books to send or carry back home. With no fee entry, it's absolutely worth a step off the beaten path to "pass through here".

Just FYI, using GPS location from this does not lead you to a trail. It just lads you to a general…read moreresidential area that happens to be within the white mountains area.

I went to an immaculately maintained trail along a creek and meadow of horses and cows that backed…read moreup to the mountains. Beautiful, beautiful and the small town charm of it is amazing! I loved the rocks people paint and leave behind as well. I have done that in the past with my 3 boys. Love the idea and charm of it! Reminds me to do it again. I felt refreshed and enjoyed my 3 mile run!! The trails were marked with little white signs and I didn't feel unsafe. It got tight a couple times with some kind folks walking dogs and I'm a huge dog person- so doesn't bother me and I was able to squeeze past them without them needing them to move much in the skinny portion of the trail we happened to be crossing at the same time. I think they appreciated. Anyway, beautiful hike and is do it again! Looking for another trail to do today before we leave back to the Valley in the AM. I don't want to leave!

We decided to see some "Arizona" fall leaves and experience an Arizona autumn. The trailhead is…read moreabout a mile off a dirt road. A restroom is located at the trailhead and the trail wasn't busy during the middle of the week when we drove up. The hike did not disappoint! The trees we saw on the hike were maple, oak, and cottonwood with the leaves turning colors in late October. The trail is 7.4 miles/out and back with an elevation gain of 2017. Part of the hike has a creek alongside it which was running when we were there. Several trees were down that we had to climb over. This by far was my favorite hike of the year. I can see doing this hike again when it's too hot in the valley to hike in Phoenix. Limited parking/no parking fee - there is parking along the forest if needed and there was an empty spot about a hundred yards from the main parking that we took advantage of.

When it starts warming up the valley its time to go up north for hiking and one of my favorite day…read moretrips is headed out by Payson and hitting up See Canyon Trail along Christopher Creek. From Payson head east on Hwy 260 to Christopher Creek Loop, turn left and head to Forest Rd 284, this is a dirt rd and part of it does become one lane, so be mindful of other cars. You don't need a 4x4 . Take the forest rd to the parking area. You start out on the trail and go under a mile you will come to a fork and you can either stay on See Canyon Trail or head off to See Spring. Either hike is great, and there is a sign that point which direction to go. It's apx 7 miles round trip, and a good elevation gain. The views are beautiful, this is one of my favorite hikes. I love that you get to do some creek crossing, some climbing, all within big beautiful trees. If you haven't been, go give it a try!

LOVED the crystals and stuff here!!! There are Crystals, Onyx, Petrified wood pieces, jewelry,…read moretrinkets, clothes, cups, etc! It was also super hot but loved that this trip was all in our vehicle. I would recommend filling up BEFORE taking this very very long drive!! There is also a gas station right next to the gift/bathroom building if you need gas! Military members get in for free and they give you an annual pass you can use for any and all National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands. It'll expire the next year! (2026 will expire in 2027) The burgers were good and I'd try out the fried zucchini sticks with some mayo! Not as bad as you think! Will add pics of items later!

Overall solid national park! Of course, this is all about the petrified wood, but the northern area…read moreof the park has badlands that are super colorful too. Be sure to visit that area - you won't regret it! I stopped by the Rainbow Forest Museum and Visitor Center first. This was a cool little museum that features the types of fossils found here, as well as the NPS gift shop. The bathrooms are right outside, as well as the Giant Logs Trail. Giant Logs features some of the largest and most colorful logs in the park. "Old Faithful", at the top of the trail, is almost ten feet wide at the base! If you had to only make one stop, make it be this one. If you're only exploring the southern portion of the park, my next recommendation would be the Blue Mesa Trail, since you get to see some badlands and hike down all the layers. This park is definitely worth a visit!