Petrified Forest National Park Self Guided Driving Tour
Experience the ancient wonder of Petrified Forest National Park on our guided tour! Our self-guided audio tour will turn your smartphone into a personal guide as it takes you on a journey through time to explore the stunning landscape of this unique national park. Marvel at the incredible petrified wood that gives the park its name, as well as the ancient fossils and vibrant rock formations that tell the story of this area's rich geological history. We'll share fascinating insights into the park's history and ecology, including the ancient cultures that once called this area home. With stops at multiple viewpoints and scenic overlooks, you'll have plenty of opportunities to take in the breathtaking beauty of this one-of-a-kind national park. *Download the Shaka Guide app to access your purchased tours.*
About this activity
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Check availability too see starting times.
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Additional Information
- Wheelchair accessible
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Service animals allowed
- Transportation options are wheelchair accessible
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- Get Started Easily: • Book Your Tour: Receive a confirmation and easy instructions via email. • Download the App: Follow the simple steps in your email. • Redeem the Tour: Use the redeem code in your email to redeem the tour in the app. • Prepare Ahead: Download the tour using strong Wi-Fi.
- Begin Your Journey: • Select Your Tour: Go to the My Stuff tab in the Shaka Guide app to launch the tour. • Start the Tour: Select the tour starting point and follow the GPS instructions. • Follow Shaka Guide: Stick to the suggested route and speed for the best experience.
- Why Choose Our Audio Tour: • Cost-Efficient: One tour for the entire vehicle—no per-person fees! • Ultimate Flexibility: Start, pause, and resume on your schedule. • Convenience: Use the tour any day, over multiple days if needed.
- Top Features: • Hands-Free: The tour works automatically - GPS-activated stories, directions, and music play as you drive for a seamless experience. • Works Offline: No need for continuous wifi or data. • Reliable Support: Get help via call, chat, or email.
- Private and Personalized: • Crowd-Free: Enjoy a private tour with just your group. • Customizable Stops: Pick the stops you want and skip the ones you don’t!
- The Ultimate Guided Tour: • Detailed Itinerary: Includes travel tips and recommendations. • Engaging Narration: Captivating stories and history.
- What Our Users Say: • “A fantastic way to explore! Easy to use and very informative.” • “Loved the flexibility to stop and go as we pleased. Highly recommend!”
Includes
- Tours NEVER expire
- Offline Audio Guided Tour: Hours of audio narration with stories, travel tips and music
- Offline map (map and GPS work completely offline - no wifi or data needed)
- Take the tour when you want - download the tour and choose the day that works best for you
- Tour highlights with activity and restaurant recommendations
- Turn-by-turn directions using GPS
- Freedom to explore at your own pace - pick the stops you want, skip the ones you don’t
- Audio narration that plays automatically as you drive
- Meals and refreshment
- Parking Fees
- Entrance Fees
Special Instructions
Itinerary
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Estimated Time : 15 minutes
Get in the Route 66 mindset with these two old-fashioned gift shops with local handiwork, petrified wood souvenirs, and tacky dinosaur statues greeting customers out front. Painted Desert Indian Center specializes in crafts from local artists, while Stewart’s Petrified Wood Shop specializes in petrified wood products.
Free Admission
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Estimated Time : 15 minutes
Stop at the visitor center for a quick bathroom break! These flush toilets are the cleanest you'll find until the Rainbow Forest Museum on the other end of the park.
Admission Ticket Not Included
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Estimated Time : 15 minutes
This overlook is your first glimpse of the Painted Desert coming in from the north, with the colorful hills below you and a vast horizon beyond facing the east. Any relevant entry fees/requirements: Tiponi Point is the first stop after the north entrance booth for Petrified Forest National Park.
Free Admission
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Estimated Time : 30 minutes
Stand nearly surrounded by the Painted Desert below from this overlook point. The easy Painted Desert Rim trail leaves from the overlook and takes you to the next overlook, Kachina Point. The hike is one mile round trip. If you hike the trail, expect to spend a total of about 30 minutes here.
Free Admission
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Estimated Time : 30 minutes
The expanse of the Painted Desert is plainly viewable from the overlook, easily accessible behind the Painted Desert Inn via a short path from the parking lot.
Free Admission
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Estimated Time : 15 minutes
This lookout faces the Painted Desert to the north for an expansive, unobstructed view. A semi-circle of covered picnic tables is the only picnic area outside of the visitor centers.
Free Admission
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Estimated Time : 15 minutes
From this overlook on a clear day, you can see over 100 miles away including the San Francisco Peaks by Flagstaff, AZ.
Free Admission
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Estimated Time : 15 minutes
Petrified Forest National Park : These three overlooks are close to each other and offer another expansive view of the Painted Desert, though you may find the previous lookouts more colorful.
Free Admission
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Estimated Time : 15 minutes
This is a small, vault toilet by the parking lot.
Free Admission
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Estimated Time : 15 minutes
Petrified Forest National Park : Generation after generation of Ancestral Puebloans left over 650 petroglyphs on these giant boulders. The petroglyphs are a little far away, visible from an overlook and a set of binoculars, but clearly visible without assistance.
Free Admission
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Estimated Time : 15 minutes
These conical hills, banded with several shades of mudstones, are said to resemble Tepees. There are two pull-offs on the side of Petrified Forest Rd to park the car and get a good view--the North Pullout and the South Pullout, which is also the trailhead for the "Off the Beaten Path" Blue Forest Trail.
Free Admission
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Estimated Time : 15 minutes
The Blue Mesa is one of the most beautiful parts of the park, with more opportunities to discover the strange, eroded badlands. Atop the Blue Mesa, the road splits and becomes a one-way loop. Stop at the first pull-offs for a glimpse of the badlands, and the first petrified wood deposit you see coming from the north.
Free Admission
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Estimated Time : 30 minutes
Petrified Forest National Park : This 1-mile loop trail is a paved path through the Blue Mesa badlands. Though rated as easy, there is an initial descent from the parking lot (and ascent as you finish) that may be difficult for those with limited mobility. A true highlight of the park, though, as it immerses visitors in a totally alien landscape.
Free Admission
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Estimated Time : 15 minutes
This 100-ft long petrified log sits on top of a small chasm, forming a bridge. When the park opened, visitors could stand on top of it! Today, the log is off-limits and supported by concrete, but this is a quick, easy stop for an impressively long piece of petrified wood.
Free Admission
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Estimated Time : 15 minutes
An overlook sits over a desert plain with a dense petrified wood deposit below. Want a closer look? Another ‘off the beaten path’ trail leads from the right of the parking lot down to the deposit following a well-worn path to the wash. Then it’s just you and the petrified wood–a truly astonishing and bizarre landscape.
Free Admission
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Estimated Time : 15 minutes
This 0.75-mile hike makes a loop through one of the park's major petrified wood deposits. The paved trail and mostly flat topography make for an easy hike, and one accessible for those with wheelchairs or strollers.
Free Admission
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Estimated Time : 60 minutes
If you only visit one visitor center in the national park, make it this one! In addition to the typical orientation video, gift shop, restrooms, and information desk, you'll find exhibits on the area's paleontology including fossils found in the park. Behind the building is the 0.4-mile Giant Logs trail, which passes some of the largest pieces of petrified wood in the park.
Free Admission
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Estimated Time : 15 minutes
Petrified Forest National Park : Just south of the park’s borders are two gift shops: Petrified Forest Gift Shop and Crystal Forest Museum and Gifts. These private stores focus on last minute petrified wood souvenirs that you put off within the park. They also feature Route 66-style dinosaur statues out front.
Free Admission