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An old, rusted car in a desert landscape. 1
A large rock formation with a road in the foreground. 2
A winding road through a desert landscape with red rock formations. 3
A rock surface with ancient petroglyphs depicting a human figure and a tree. 4
A straight road with yellow centerline, surrounded by flat terrain and distant hills. 5

Petrified Forest National Park Scenic Drive Self Guided Tour

By WalknTours
Free cancellation available
Price is NZ$17 per traveller* *Get a lower price by selecting multiple travellers
See tickets

Features

  • Free cancellation available
  • 5h
  • Mobile voucher
  • Instant confirmation

Overview

Explore the unique landscapes of Petrified Forest National Park, where ancient trees turned to stone reveal stories from 200 million years ago. This GPS-guided driving tour allows you to navigate 28 miles of scenic routes at your own pace, discovering the history of petrified wood, ancient pueblos, and the vibrant Painted Desert. Engage with the geological wonders and archaeological treasures while enjoying a flexible, self-guided adventure through one of the most intriguing national parks in the Southwest.

  • Self-guided driving tour with GPS guidance for easy navigation
  • Immerse yourself in stunning sites like the Painted Desert and historic Route 66
  • Duration of 1-3 hours based on your chosen stops and pace
  • Offline access available after downloading, perfect for remote areas

Activity location

  • Tawa Point
    • 86028, Petrified Forest National Park, Arizona, United States

Meeting/Redemption Point

  • Painted Desert Visitor Center
    • 1 Park Road
    • 86028, Petrified Forest National Park, Arizona, United States

Check availability

Petrified Forest National Park Scenic Drive Self Guided Tour in English

  • Activity duration is 5 hours5h
    5h
  • Opening hours: Mon 12:00 am-11:30 pm
  • English
Language options: English
Price details
NZ$17.49 x 1 TravellerNZ$17.49
Total
Price is NZ$17.49

What's included, what's not

  • What's includedWhat's included
    Go at your own pace. Anytime. The tour never expires
  • What's includedWhat's included
    Know what's coming up and the storey at every stop, don't just look, connect to the park
  • What's includedWhat's included
    The tour plays automatically as you drive with GPS
  • What's includedWhat's included
    Smartphone guided GPS audio driving tour on our driving tour app in Petrified Forest National park
  • What's includedWhat's included
    Listen anytime, as many times as you want, it's your tour
  • What's excludedWhat's excluded
    No Human Guide, this is all guided by our driving walking tour app
  • What's excludedWhat's excluded
    No National park entrance fee

Know before you book

  • Suitable for all physical fitness levels

Activity itinerary

Tiponi Point

  • 10m
  • Admission ticket not included
Take in your first sweeping views of the Painted Desert. Layers of red, purple, blue, and grey reveal over 200 million years of volcanic eruptions, rivers, and prehistoric ecosystems preserved in stone.

Painted Desert Visitor Center

  • 10m
Begin your adventure at the gateway to Petrified Forest National Park. Pick up maps, explore exhibits, and prepare to travel through a landscape where ancient forests became stone and colourful badlands stretch to the horizon.

Crystal Forest Trail

  • 10m
  • Admission ticket not included
Walk among some of the most beautiful petrified logs on Earth. Discover sparkling quartz, colourful agate, and purple amethyst hidden within ancient fossilised trees.

Tawa Point

  • 10m
  • Admission ticket not included
Named for the Hopi sun spirit, this scenic overlook offers stunning views of the Painted Desert's colourful ridges and mesas, especially beautiful during sunrise and early morning light.

Painted Desert Inn

  • 10m
  • Admission ticket not included
Step inside one of Route 66's most historic buildings. Explore restored Hopi murals, Civilian Conservation Corps craftsmanship, and panoramic desert views from this beautifully preserved landmark.

Pintado Point

  • 10m
  • Admission ticket not included
One of the highest viewpoints in the park, offering breathtaking 360-degree views across colourful badlands shaped by volcanic ash, floods, and millions of years of erosion.

Nizhoni Point

  • 10m
  • Admission ticket not included
"Nizhoni" means beautiful in Navajo, and this overlook lives up to its name with endless vistas of layered mesas and painted hills stretching across the Arizona desert.

Whipple Point

  • 10m
  • Admission ticket not included
Enjoy one final Painted Desert panorama before descending towards the heart of the fossil forest. The landscape here continues to evolve through ongoing erosion.

Lacey Point

  • 10m
  • Admission ticket not included
Named for Congressman John Lacey, whose efforts helped protect Petrified Forest, this overlook showcases the colourful desert and the importance of conservation.

Puerco Pueblo

  • 10m
  • Admission ticket not included
Walk through the remains of a 100-room village where over 200 people lived more than 700 years ago. Learn about ancient farming, trade routes, and life in the high desert.

Newspaper Rock

  • 10m
  • Admission ticket not included
View more than 650 petroglyphs carved into stone by Indigenous peoples over centuries. These fascinating symbols offer a glimpse into ancient stories, beliefs, and daily life.

The Tepees

  • 10m
  • Admission ticket not included
Marvel at cone-shaped hills wrapped in colourful bands of blue, grey, purple, and red. These striking formations reveal millions of years of geological history.

Historic Blue Forest Trailhead

  • 10m
  • Admission ticket not included
Explore a rugged landscape filled with colourful badlands and petrified logs rich in blue agate and purple quartz. A favourite destination for adventurous hikers.

Blue Mesa

  • 10m
  • Admission ticket not included
One of the park's most spectacular sights. Descend into a surreal world of blue-gray badlands, striped hills, and fossilised logs that seem straight out of another planet.

Agate Bridge

  • 10m
  • Admission ticket not included
See a massive 110-foot petrified log suspended across a wash like a natural bridge. This remarkable geological feature is one of the park's most photographed attractions.

Jasper Forest

  • 10m
  • Admission ticket not included
Gaze across one of the largest concentrations of petrified wood in the park, where colourful fossilised logs blanket the landscape.

Rainbow Forest Museum and Visitor Center

  • 20m
  • Admission ticket not included
End your journey surrounded by giant petrified logs, fascinating fossils, and exhibits that bring the prehistoric world of Petrified Forest National Park to life.

Location

Activity location

  • LOB_ACTIVITIESLOB_ACTIVITIES
    Tawa Point
    • 86028, Petrified Forest National Park, Arizona, United States

Meeting/Redemption Point

  • PEOPLEPEOPLE
    Painted Desert Visitor Center
    • 1 Park Road
    • 86028, Petrified Forest National Park, Arizona, United States

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