Petrified Forest NP is one of the least spectacular parks I have seen. In fact, the most impressive petrified logs lay just around the visitor center at the entrance of the park. The rest of the road is merely a desert crossing. At the north end, Painted desert offers more spectacular and colourful images. Nice detour if you are travelling... more

Okay, you got to love this. We are four rockhounding women, and we are in the painted desert and petrified forest. :) No the only rocks we got were from the gift shop. But I did and I'm sure he did (park ranger) think it was strange when we were asked if we had any rocks BEFORE we went in... more

What a sight! Could not believe others told me it was a wasted trip! This park is just so beautiful with out a lot of other stuff that gets in the way! more

The Painted Desert/Petrified forest is a nice place to see, but I wouldn't give it the same rating as the Grand Canyon! There's a reason the Grand Canyon gets all of the visitors that it does, and that the Painted Desert does not. Is it scenic? Sure! Is it worth spending a day at? No. It is a nice drive... more

Allow yourself some time to drive to this location and explore. The painted desert is beautiful. The adults thought the petrified forest was neat, but the kids wanted to be able to hike around more and see the park more fully. more

I read alot of reviews online saying don't waste your time, etc. I have no idea what those people were talking about. This was one of our favorite spots especially for you closet photographers out there like me. We spent about 4 hours here and wished we had the whole day. There is so much to see and do. So... more

My husband and I visited on our return trip home from Sedona. We were here many years ago, but it was at sunset and we were really rushed. This time we had more time to explore the area and really enjoy the beauty of it. The booklet from the park rangers at the entrance is very helpful. We drove through... more

My boyfriend and I planned a stop at the Painted Dessert and Petrified Forest along our cross country road trip. At the entrance to the park the rangers give you a booklet of information explaining all there is to see and the history of the park, which was really useful. We went through the park making periodic stops but mostly... more

We recently spent a day visiting the Petrified Forest/Painted Desert National Park. What struck me the most about the Petrified Forest was how little of the petrified trees there were left, so many of them have been chipped away, dragged away, stolen or sold. In the museum shop there are several "books of shame", filled with letters from people who... more