Petrified Forest National Park is a semi-arid grassland. Temperatures range from above 100° F (38° C) to well below freezing. About 10 inches (25.4 cm) of moisture comes during infrequent snow in the winter and often dramatic summer thunder-storms. Animals and plants are adapted to extremes in temperature and moisture. You should be ready too. Check out the forecast before you arrive and plan accordingly.
Entrance Fees:
Auto/7-day pass to Petrified Forest National Park - $20.00
Fee is for one private vehicle and the people within for 7 days.
Bicycle and walkers/per person - $10.00
The fee allows for one person walking or one person on a bicycle into the park for 7 days.
Motorcycle (flat fee) - $15.00
Allows a motorcycle and riders in for 7 days.
Entrance Passes:
Petrified Forest National Park Annual Pass - $40.00
Good for a private vehicle and its occupants for a year.
Painted Desert Visitor Center is located at exit #311 off of I-40. The center provides information, book sales, exhibits, and restrooms. Timeless Impressions, a free orientation film about the park, is shown continuously throughout the day. A restaurant and gift shop are adjacent to the visitor center.It is part of the Painted Desert Community Complex which is on the National Register of Historic Places.
Rainbow Forest Museum provides exhibits of petrified wood, fossils, and displays of prehistoric animals as well as information, book sales, and restrooms. Timeless Impressions, a free orientation film about the park, is shown continuously throughout the day.
Painted Desert Inn National Historic Landmark, located at Kachina Point 2 miles from the north entrance at exit #311 off of I-40, once served as a respite for travelers along historic Route 66. From the inn, you may view distant vistas and exhibits while touring this historic building.
