Petrified Forest National Park Scenic Drive Self Guided Tour

What's Included

Meeting and pickup

Itinerary

• 1
  Tiponi Point

  Take in your first sweeping views of the Painted Desert. Layers of red, purple, blue, and gray reveal over 200 million years of volcanic eruptions, rivers, and prehistoric ecosystems preserved in stone.

  10 minutes • Admission ticket not included
• 2
  Painted Desert Visitor Center

  Begin your adventure at the gateway to Petrified Forest National Park. Pick up maps, explore exhibits, and prepare to travel through a landscape where ancient forests became stone and colorful badlands stretch to the horizon.

  10 minutes • Admission ticket free
• 3
  Crystal Forest Trail

  Walk among some of the most beautiful petrified logs on Earth. Discover sparkling quartz, colorful agate, and purple amethyst hidden within ancient fossilized trees.

  10 minutes • Admission ticket not included
• 4

  Named for the Hopi sun spirit, this scenic overlook offers stunning views of the Painted Desert's colorful ridges and mesas, especially beautiful during sunrise and early morning light.

  10 minutes • Admission ticket not included
• 5

  Step inside one of Route 66's most historic buildings. Explore restored Hopi murals, Civilian Conservation Corps craftsmanship, and panoramic desert views from this beautifully preserved landmark.

  10 minutes • Admission ticket not included
• 6
  Pintado Point

  One of the highest viewpoints in the park, offering breathtaking 360-degree views across colorful badlands shaped by volcanic ash, floods, and millions of years of erosion.

  10 minutes • Admission ticket not included
• 7

  "Nizhoni" means beautiful in Navajo, and this overlook lives up to its name with endless vistas of layered mesas and painted hills stretching across the Arizona desert.

  10 minutes • Admission ticket not included
• 8

  Enjoy one final Painted Desert panorama before descending toward the heart of the fossil forest. The landscape here continues to evolve through ongoing erosion.

  10 minutes • Admission ticket not included
• 9
  Lacey Point

  Named for Congressman John Lacey, whose efforts helped protect Petrified Forest, this overlook showcases the colorful desert and the importance of conservation.

  10 minutes • Admission ticket not included
• 10
  Puerco Pueblo

  Walk through the remains of a 100-room village where over 200 people lived more than 700 years ago. Learn about ancient farming, trade routes, and life in the high desert.

  10 minutes • Admission ticket not included
• 11
  Newspaper Rock

  View more than 650 petroglyphs carved into stone by Indigenous peoples over centuries. These fascinating symbols offer a glimpse into ancient stories, beliefs, and daily life.

  10 minutes • Admission ticket not included
• 12
  The Tepees

  Marvel at cone-shaped hills wrapped in colorful bands of blue, gray, purple, and red. These striking formations reveal millions of years of geological history.

  10 minutes • Admission ticket not included
• 13

  Explore a rugged landscape filled with colorful badlands and petrified logs rich in blue agate and purple quartz. A favorite destination for adventurous hikers.

  10 minutes • Admission ticket not included
• 14
  Blue Mesa

  One of the park's most spectacular sights. Descend into a surreal world of blue-gray badlands, striped hills, and fossilized logs that seem straight out of another planet.

  10 minutes • Admission ticket not included
• 15
  Agate Bridge

  See a massive 110-foot petrified log suspended across a wash like a natural bridge. This remarkable geological feature is one of the park's most photographed attractions.

  10 minutes • Admission ticket not included
• 16
  Jasper Forest

  Gaze across one of the largest concentrations of petrified wood in the park, where colorful fossilized logs blanket the landscape.

  10 minutes • Admission ticket not included
• 17

  End your journey surrounded by giant petrified logs, fascinating fossils, and exhibits that bring the prehistoric world of Petrified Forest National Park to life.

  20 minutes • Admission ticket not included

Additional info

• Suitable for all physical fitness levels

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