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Petrified Forest National Parkpetrified wood scatter, Photo by Marge Post/NPS
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Petrified Forest National Park
Operating Hours & Seasons

Open year round except Christmas, December 25.

Park hours are currently 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Mountain Standard Time (MST) through October 25, 2008.
Painted Desert Visitor Center is open 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. MST.
Rainbow Forest Museum is open 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. MST.
Painted Desert Inn National Historic Landmark (a museum and bookstore only) is open 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. MST year-round.

Park hours will change on September 2: 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. MST through October 25, 2008.

Park hours will change on October 26: 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. MST through Winter 2008/2009.

Park and Visitor Center hours are subject to change.

Winter Driving Notice: Directive #641 Safety and Emergency Actions Road Closure Policy states:
To provide a safe experience for park visitors, it is the policy of the park to limit access to areas of the park deemed unsafe. During periods of snow or ice accumulation the park road may be closed for a portion of, or the whole, day. When it is deemed safe by maintenance staff clearing the roadway, the park road will be re-opened for travel.

For information on park access during winter storms, call (928) 524-6228 between 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. MST.

Note: Arizona does not observe Daylight Savings Time, remaining on Mountain Standard Time year-round. For example, in the summer months, during Daylight Savings Time, the time in Arizona and California is the same, with New Mexico and the Navajo Reservation one hour ahead.

Daylight Savings Time in 2008 begins March 9 and ends November 2.

badlands landscape at Jasper Forest  

Did You Know?
On clear days in the Southwest, especially on crisp, cold winter days, you can see landscape features almost 100 miles away!

Last Updated: September 02, 2008 at 12:05 EST