Normally there are two entrances into the park, one on Interstate 40 and the other on Highway 180 which allows you to drive the 28-mile Petrified Forest Road north or south through the park and then continue on your way. Unfortunately, while we were there the 180 entrance was closed and we had to drive in, back out, and around to get to camp for the evening, eating up some of our precious exploration time. To make up the lost time and get to the areas we had our hearts set on exploring (and not get to camp at an ungodly hour) we skipped over the several Painted Desert overlooks and the Route 66 Alignment near the I-40 entrance, but if you have the time give them a peek.
Puerco Pueblo
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A .03-mile paved loop that lets you view ancestral Puebloan homes and petroglyphs. Our favorite part was the sundial petroglyph.
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Newspaper Rock State Historic Monument
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An overlook with viewfinders that allow you to see a collection of over 650 petroglyphs on the rocks below, some are around 2000 years old.
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Blue Mesa Trailhead
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The 3.5-mile paved loop road has several scenic overlooks to stop at with views of petrified logs, hoodoos, and the colorfully banded badlands. There is also a 1-mile paved loop trail if you want to stretch your legs and get up close and personal with the landscape.
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Agate Bridge
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A quick jaunt takes you to a 100 foot plus petrified log straddling a dry ravine. For fear of its collapse, a concreate beam was constructed under it in the early 1900s but does not detract from the impressiveness of the log.
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Jasper Forest
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Once called the First Forest, the overlook here provides a panoramic view of an area with a high concentration of petrified wood. As erosion prevails, segments continue to be uncovered and iconic formations are lost, so see it while you can.
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Crystal Forest Trailhead
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This 0.75-mile paved loop trail gets you close to a large collection of petrified logs and allows you to examine the color variations in the deposits created by the iron or manganese oxides and of course quartz crystals - hence the name.
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Giant Logs
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Located just outside the Rainbow Forest Museum is a 0.4-mile gravel loop trail with massive, petrified logs. Make sure you grab the free pamphlet to learn about each of the points of interest on the trail. The highlight for us was standing in the same spot as Albert Einstein and his wife.
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Long Logs
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This was our favorite hike; it is a 1.6-mile gravel loop trail that showcases some of the longest petrified logs in the park. There is also a 0.5-mile (one way) offshoot that takes you to the Agate House, a partially reconstructed pueblo originally built of petrified wood. We had the whole trail to ourselves, and we are guessing it is because it is one of the longer walks in the park and is not directly connected to a parking lot, so it does not see much traffic as other areas.
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As with any place you visit, please "take only pictures and leave only footprints" and if you need a piece of petrified wood, buy it from the gift shop.
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