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Petrified Forest National Parkpetrified log within the Painted Desert, Photo by Marge Post/NPS
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Trail Closures

Thursday 1/15/09 Puerco Pueblo parking lot and trail are closed due to construction.

Blue Mesa Trail is closed due to ice.

Petrified Forest National Park

With one of the world's largest and most colorful concentrations of petrified wood, multi-hued badlands of the Painted Desert, historic structures, archeological sites, and displays of over 200-million-year-old fossils, this is a surprising land of scenic wonders and fascinating science.
 
Painted Desert Inn National Historic Landmark.

What is Petrified Forest?

Learn more about this fascinating place by delving into the many brochures and newspaper about the park.

 
fossil bone material in fossil prep lab

Science and Education Center Lecture Series

As part of the Petrified Forest National Park Science and Education Center, a monthly lecture series is held on the first Wednesday of each month. Topics include paleontology, geology, archeology, and others. Admission is free, and the public is invited to attend.
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Adam Longatti, original artwork

Artist in Residence

The park invites artists to document national park landscapes with contemporary approaches and techniques as part of the annual Artist in Residence program.
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dancers

Cultural Demonstrators

Most Saturdays throughout the summer, cultural demonstrators can be found at the Painted Desert Inn National Historic Landmark.
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Write to

Superintendent, Petrified Forest National Park
PO Box 2217
Petrified Forest, AZ 86028

E-mail Us

Phone

General Park Information
(928) 524-6228

Fax

(928) 524-3567

Climate

Petrified Forest National Park has variable weather throughout the year. Summers are hot with thunderstorms from July through September. With an elevation of over 5,000 feet, winters can be quite cold and snow is a possibility. Spring and fall can be hot or cold with rapidly changing conditions during the day. Always be prepared!
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spiral petroglyph marks the summer solstice  

Did You Know?
Petroglyphs are sometimes calendars, marking events like the summer solstice with interactions between the glyph, the sun, and natural landscape features.

Last Updated: January 14, 2009 at 18:19 EST