Hiking in Petrified Forest National Park

All trails begin off the main road, with restrooms at or near the trailheads. Most maintained trails are relatively short, paved, clearly marked, and, with a few exceptions, easy to moderate in difficulty. Hikers with greater stamina can make their own trails in the wilderness area, located just north of the Painted Desert Visitor Center. Watch your step for rattlesnakes, which are common in the park—if left alone and given a wide berth, they are passed easily enough.

Easy

Crystal Forest Trail. This easy 0.75-mile loop leads you past petrified wood that once held quartz crystals and amethyst chips. Easy. Trailhead: 20 miles south of the Painted Desert Visitor Center, Petrified Forest National Park, AZ, 86028.

Giant Logs Trail. At 0.4 mile, Giant Logs is the park's shortest trail. The loop leads you to Old Faithful, the park's largest petrified log—9 feet, 9 inches at its base, weighing an estimated 44 tons. Easy. Trailhead: directly behind Rainbow Forest Museum, 28 miles south of Painted Desert Visitor Center, Petrified Forest National Park, AZ, 86028.

Long Logs Trail. Although barren, this easy 1.6-mile loop passes the largest concentration of wood in the park. Easy. Trailhead: 26 miles south of Painted Desert Visitor Center, Petrified Forest National Park, AZ, 86028.

Puerco Pueblo Trail. A relatively flat and interesting 0.3-mile trail takes you past remains of a home of the Ancestral Puebloan people, built before 1400. The trail is paved and wheelchair accessible. Easy. Trailhead: 10 miles south of Painted Desert Visitor Center, Petrified Forest National Park, AZ, 86028.

Moderate

Agate House. A fairly flat 1-mi trip takes you to an eight-room pueblo sitting high on a knoll. Moderate. Trailhead: 26 miles south of Painted Desert Visitor Center, Petrified Forest National Park, AZ, 86028.

Blue Mesa. Although it's only 1 mile long and it's significantly steeper than the rest, this trail at the park's midway point is one of the most popular and worth the effort. Moderate. Trailhead: 14 miles south of Painted Desert Visitor Center, Petrified Forest National Park, AZ, 86028.

Painted Desert Rim. The 1-mile trail is at its best in early morning or late afternoon, when the sun accentuates the brilliant red, blue, purple, and other hues of the desert and petrified forest landscape. Moderate. Trail runs between Tawa Point and Kachina Point, 1 mile north of Painted Desert Visitor Center; drive to either point from Visitor Center, Petrified Forest National Park, AZ, 86028.

Difficult

Kachina Point. This is the trailhead for wilderness hiking. A 1-mile trail leads to the Wilderness Area, but from there you're on your own; with no developed trails, hiking here is cross-country style. Expect to see strange formations, beautifully colored landscapes, and maybe, just maybe, a pronghorn antelope. Difficult. Trailhead: on the northwest side of the Painted Desert Inn National Historic Landmark, Petrified Forest National Park, AZ, 86028.