Petrified Forest National Park - Things To Know Before You Come (U.S. National Park Service)

Accessibility
Visitor centers, restrooms, and picnic areas are accessible or accessible with assistance for wheelchair users. Trails are not accessible.

Camping
Campgrounds are not available in the park, and parking overnight is not allowed. Backpacking is allowed within the Wilderness Area. Visit the camping page for information on camping outside the park.

Lodging
Accommodation is not available in the park, but can be found nearby. Visit the Traffic and Travel Tips page for Chamber of Commerce information within nearby communities.

Pets
Pets are permitted on maintained trails and must be kept on a leash. Pets are not allowed within the Wilderness Area nor on the Wilderness Access Trail near Painted Desert Inn. Pets are not allowed in buildings, unless they are service animals. Please clean up after your animals.

Facilities and Services
The Painted Desert Visitor Center complex is open all year and is located off Interstate-40, Exit 311. Services include:

visitor information, orientation, and backcountry permits,
orientation movie, Timeless Impressions (20-minutes long, shows every 1/2 hour),
bookstore,
hands-on exhibits,
restaurant (open 7:00am - 3:00pm MST),
gift shop,
gas station,
post office (open 11:00am - 1:00pm MST, Monday through Friday),
postal drop box, and
public restrooms.

The Rainbow Forest Museum complex is open all year and is located 2 miles north of the park's south entrance, 19 miles south of Holbrook off Higway 180. Services include:

visitor information, orientation, and backcountry permits,
orientation movie, Timeless Impressions (20-minutes long, shows every 1/2 hour),
bookstore,
fossil exhibits,
interactive, computer-based Triassic Virtual Tour,
Giant Logs, Long Logs, and Agate House trail access,
limited food service,
gift shop, and
public restrooms.

The Painted Desert Inn National Historic Landmark is open all year, 9:00am - 5:00pm MST and is located 2 miles north of the Painted Desert Visitor Center, off Interstate 40 Exit 311. Services include:

visitor information, orientation, and backcountry permits,
bookstore,
museum exhibits (including the building itself),
public restrooms, and
Wilderness and Rim trail access.