Petrified Forest National Park
Located off of I-40 about an hour and a half from Flagstaff Az is Petrified Forest National Park. It is located in the Painted desert of Arizona. The park is know for having many fossils from the Triassic Period, most notably, petrified wood. This wood dates back to over 200 million years old and can be seen throughout the park. I wont get into the science about how it was formed as this is a post about backpacking in the park. But let’s just say after millions of years the wood petrified and turned to stone.
Petrified wood
Obtaining a backcountry permit
There is no public campgrounds in the park so if you wish to stay overnight, backpacking is the only option. Obtaining a permit is easy and free! All you have to do is go to the ranger station and fill out a form and you are good to go. They go through the rules and regulations which are similar to other National Parks in the USA. Pack it in, pack it out. There are also no open fires allowed in the park so taking a stove is necessary to have some food or tea. It gets very hot during the day and can get below freezing at night so pack accordingly. It is recommended you carry one gallon of water per person per day.
Where to go
The only places you are allowed to camp in the park is in the designated wilderness area. Being at over 50,000 acres there is no shortage of areas to explore and to camp well away from others. There are no trails through the wilderness area but there are sever designated access trails. When you apply for a permit there are 4 different zones to choose from. The wilderness area is only about a mile from the paved road in places so Petrified Forest can be a great starter backpacking location for those who want to camp, but don’t want to do a several mile hike.
I chose to go camping in zone 1 just north of the Painted desert inn. I researched a location on google maps and Photopills first as I planned on photographing sunset and possibly the stars.
When to go
The average elevation of the park is around 5,800’ which gives the desert hot days and cool nights. I went in mid April and the weather was tolerable. It was in the mid 70s during the day and about down to the low 40s at night. Spring and fall are the best seasons to visit as in the summer temperatures can reach up to 100’F and there is no shade or water to be found. In the winter, night temperatures can drop to the high teens, with occasional snowfall.
If you don’t mind a bit of extreme heat or cold weather, backpacking year round is possible if you are prepared and plan accordingly.
My trip
I arrived around 12:30pm to the visitor center and applied for my permit, then headed into the park. I parked at the Painted Desert Inn, double checked my gear, then headed north on the access trail. The trail steeply drops into the desert with a descent of around 300’. Once you reach the bottom its generally flat and easy hiking depending on the route you take.
The top of the Painted Desert Inn access trail
At the bottom
I hiked North following the trail towards the Onyx Bridge then made a sharp turn to the west and followed a wash for a few miles. I then went north to find some interesting features and set up camp. I ended up hiking about 4 miles into the wilderness area.
Hiking along the wash
Stunning views
It was a very windy day and I struggled to find a spot out of the wind to set up my tent.
What apperas to be rocks is actually, well rocks, but it used to be trees before being petrified. If you look closely this is clearly visible.
After I set up camp I unpacked my camera and wandered around looking for a composition. I choose this spot because when the sun set in the west the last light of the day would illuminate the desert causing some pleasing light. I only had my Nikon D850, a 10-24 f/4 lens and my filters. Upon doing research I knew wide angle was how I wanted to shoot for the night. Also I didn’t want to bring too much gear to weigh down my pack.
I took images from golden hour through blue hour and was treated to some nice light on the desert. I shot similar compositions because I really liked the texture in the foreground and the hills in the the background held a lot of interest to me. I then tried to take a few pictures of the stars, but clouds ended up rolling in before I could see the milky way.
Petrified Forest National Park is a dark skies park and on a clear night the Milky Way can be visible.
Petrified Forest National Park is a lesser know gem when it comes to backpacking. With easy to obtain permits and the freedom to hike and camp almost anywhere it is a great location for beginner backpackers and experienced backpackers alike.