Special programs will be offered throughout the year! Check the searchable Calendar, as well as our social media pages.
Ranger Guided Programs are available seasonally and as staffing allows, but our staff is always roving the park. Keep an eye out for roving rangers in popular areas like Puerco Pueblo, Crystal Forest, and Giant Logs for on-the-spot information.
May Events
Saturday May 6 & Sun May 7
Wildflower Walk
Meet at Jasper Forest parking lot
10am each day
Celebrate National Wildflower Week by joining a ranger for a short, easy walk to explore and discover wildflowers in bloom. Learn about these fleeting beauties in your beautiful National Park! Wear comfortable shoes and bring water, a hat, and sunscreen. Allow 45 minutes.
Friday May 12
Holbrook Art Series
Historic Train Station, Holbrook
5pm—7pm
Our May 2017 Artist-in-Residences Debra Jones and James Leach (both landscape painters) will cohost the monthly art series in our gateway town of Holbrook. Enjoy art, culture, and good company!
Saturday May 13
International Migratory Bird Day
Across the road from Puerco Pueblo parking lot
9am
Calling all birdwatchers! Join a ranger for birdwatching instruction (if needed), dialogue, and counting. There will be binoculars, guides, and a spotting scope to share. Or, bring your own chair and binoculars to relax and enjoy. Allow 60 minutes.
Sunday May 14
In the Land of Color: An Exploration of Petrified Forest’s Black Forest and Onyx Bridge
Contact Petrified Forest Field Institute
9am
This program is offered by Petrified Forest Field Institute and an additional fee is required; see http://www.petrifiedforestfieldinstitute.org/ for additional information. Join instructor Christa Sadler to enjoy a guided adventure exploring the park’s geology, paleontology, history, flora and fauna. Hike to Onyx Bridge in the Black Forest, an unusual deposit of petrified wood that preserves species of wood not found elsewhere in the park. Allow 6 hours.
Sunday May 28
Abstract Design: Color and Monochrome Photography
Contact Petrified Forest Field Institute
7:30 am
This program is offered by Petrified Forest Field Institute and an additional fee is required; see http://www.petrifiedforestfieldinstitute.org/ for additional information. Join instructor David Behar to discover natural design in monochromatic and/or color images. Among fascinating backdrops of the Tepees, Blue Mesa and Crystal Forest, this workshop will help you see things very differently. This workshop is best enjoyed by intermediate and advanced level users. Allow 4 hours.
June Programs and Events
Friday June 2, 3:30pm–7pm
Gary Ladd Photo Workshop
Contact Petrified Forest Field Institute
This program is offered by Petrified Forest Field Institute and an additional fee is required; see http://www.petrifiedforestfieldinstitute.org/ for additional information. Join renowned photographer Gary Ladd discussing use of cloud and afternoon light, foregrounds, and lenses of various focal length, exposure and how these factors are used to effectively photograph Petrified Forest National Park. Explore this great national park by utilizing photography and geology as solid excuses!
Tuesday June 6, 10am–4pm
Dinosaur Day
Community Building at Painted Desert Visitor Center
Enjoy films, lectures, and activities as we celebrate all things dinosaur at Petrified Forest National Park! A free schedule of the day’s events can be picked up at Painted Desert Visitor Center.
Friday June 9, 10am–4pm
Harvey Girls Meet and Greet
Painted Desert Inn
Meet real Harvey Girls of the Fred Harvey Company and learn the important history of these ladies who provided legendary hospitality throughout the west.
Friday June 9, TBD
Route 66 Relics Tour
Starts in Holbrook; to schedule call (928) 524-6227
This program is offered in conjunction with the City of Holbrook and an additional fee is required. As part of Holbrook’s Route 66 Festival, a special Route 66 Relics Tour is offered to include locations in and near Petrified Forest National Park. Fee per person includes lunch and transportation. Reservations required; to schedule call (928) 524-6227.
Saturday June 10, 9am–1pm
Young Paleontologist’s Fossil Exploration
Contact Petrified Forest Field Institute
This program is offered by Petrified Forest Field Institute and an additional fee is required; see http://www.petrifiedforestfieldinstitute.org/ for additional information. This class is designed for kids that want to learn about Triassic fossils and the work of paleontologists. Play, learn, and get hands-on digging for and identifying real and replica fossils.
Saturday June 10, all day
Holbrook Route 66 Festival
Along Hopi Drive in Holbrook, AZ
Celebrate the Mother Road with a classic car show, live entertainment, presentations, contests, games and more! Search for Holbrook Route 66 Festival on Facebook or call (928) 524-6227 to learn more, and look for the Petrified Forest National Park booth there!
Tuesday June 20, peaking 9am
Self-guided at Puerco Pueblo, 0.3 mile round trip trail
For about a two week period around the summer solstice, a shaft of sunlight is projected onto the boulder and travels down the side to touch the center of the spiral petroglyph, peaking about 9 am. There is a wayside exhibit near the petroglyph on the side path from the Puerco Pueblo trail if there are no rangers available. Join us for this remarkable event!
Wednesday June 21, 8:30am–12pm
State of the Park (park science review)
Community Building at Painted Desert Visitor Center
Join park scientists as they lecture on the latest research, data, and findings in the park. Fields covered include paleontology, archeology, and biology. For more information, call (928) 524-6228 x262.
Thursday June 22 & Friday June 23, all day on both days
Summer Solstice Archaeoastronomical Site Visit
Contact Petrified Forest Field Institute
This program is offered by Petrified Forest Field Institute and an additional fee is required; see http://www.petrifiedforestfieldinstitute.org/ for additional information. Join an extraordinary overnight backpack trip! We will visit a 1000-year-old petroglyph that is featured in many books as the sun splits it in half at the precise moment of the summer solstice—an experience sure to provide the participants a deeper connection with the land and those whose lives were so dependent upon it.
Saturday June 24
Nightscape Photography
Contact Petrified Forest Field Institute
This program is offered by Petrified Forest Field Institute and an additional fee is required; see http://www.petrifiedforestfieldinstitute.org/ for additional information. This workshop takes participants inside the park under a moonless night sky for a privileged photography opportunity using the Milky Way as a backdrop to other-worldly landscape attractions found exclusively in Petrified Forest. All levels of experience welcome!
Junior Rangers speak with Ranger Lauren
NPS
Daily Fun
Daily
Find Your Park
findyourpark.com/share
Anytime
Celebrate the National Park Service’s Centennial by sharing your own story! Browse the official Find Your Park website for inspiration, then upload your own song, photo, painting, poem, dance, video – anything you’d like to share about your visit.
Daily
Geocaching
Selected locations throughout the park
During park hours
Geocaching is a worldwide game of hiding and seeking virtual ‘treasure’, and anyone with a GPS device can play! There are several self-guided geocaches at Petrified Forest National Park where a hidden container can be found and a log book signed. For more information on geocaching, visit Geocaching.com.
Daily
Junior Ranger Program
Pick up a booklet at any park Visitor Center
During park hours
Junior Rangers explore, learn about, and protect their national parks! Fun activities engage young visitors at Petrified Forest and are rewarded with a badge and patch by finishing this booklet.
Daily
Junior Paleontologist Program
Pick up a booklet at any park Visitor Center
During park hours
Explore the ways paleontologists work, learn about Earth's history, and protect our national parks, including fossils and the rocks in which they are found! Earn a special paleontology badge by finishing this booklet.
Daily
Painted Desert Inn Tour
Painted Desert Inn
Anytime between 9am—4pm
Painted Desert Inn is a beautiful building with rich history and stunning views to boot. Ask any staff member in the building to give you a brief, personal tour during your visit, and if they can they will!
Daily (as scheduling allows)
Cultural Demonstrations
Painted Desert Inn
Anytime between 10am—4pm
A cultural demonstrator with ancestral ties to the area shares engaging skills and traditions. Stop by and enjoy!
Dig with a paleontologist
NPS
Field Institute
Petrified Forest Field Institute is proud to offer guided tours and field classes exploring fun and compelling subjects lead by world class guides and experts.
In the Artist-in-Residence Program selected artists spend time living and working in the park, sharing their experiences with visitors.
Navajo rug weavers
NPS
Cultural Demonstrators
The park hosts regional cultural demonstrators throughout the year, coordinated by the park's partner Petrified Forest Museum Association. Visit with the demonstrators at the Painted Desert Inn National Historic Landmark (2 miles from the north entrance of the park) between 10am and 4pm. Calendar is available here.
