Top 5 Can’t Miss
Petrified Forest National Park is the only national park in the U.S. with a section of old Route 66.
The park is also home to a “rainbow” forest, which has colorful tree fossils that are more than 200 million years old and date back to the “Dawn of the Dinosaurs.”
You can take your pick of hikes at the park, but driving is one of the best ways to explore the area.
Visit between late spring and late fall, when monsoon showers reveal the park’s full breadth of colors.
Stay in kitschy, Americana accommodations such as the nearby Wigwam Village Motel.
If you’re on a mission to visit some of the most underrated national parks across the U.S., you should probably have Petrified Forest on your radar.
Located in northeastern Arizona, it’s one of the state’s three national parks, alongside Grand Canyon National Park and Saguaro National Park. While a trip to the park will always be worthwhile, it’ll be particularly fitting to visit it next year. In 2026, the U.S. Route 66 Centennial Commission will celebrate the 100th anniversary of the establishment of the “Mother Road” and Petrified Forest is the only national park with a section of Historic Route 66.
The remnants of the famed highway—including a line of now-weathered telephone poles—are far from the only things to see within this nearly 222,000-acre, semi-arid park, though. Petrified Forest National Park is best known for its 200-million-plus-year-old plant and animal fossils from the Triassic Period, or the “Dawn of the Dinosaurs.” It’s a collection that includes the eponymous petrified logs, which were formed after trees were buried in an ancient river system; minerals then absorbed into the wood and replaced the organic material. The structures we see today are made up of nearly solid quartz, and the impurities within the quartz (like iron and carbon) result in a display of stunning colors.
While you’re exploring this pocket of Arizona, you’ll also want to make time to see the many petroglyphs, hike in the backcountry, and admire the abundance of wildlife. “There are plenty of rare migratory birds that see our sparse number of trees as a much-needed resting place on their way, [but] some tree dwellers that are surprisingly more interesting than the birds … are the largest rodent in the park: the porcupines,” park ranger Luke Heberer tells Travel + Leisure. “In the winter and spring, they are easily seen high up in the branches, munching on buds.”
He also notes you can usually spot pronghorn, elk, mule deer, and the “star of the show,” the collared lizard, which makes a regular appearance in the summer. Whether you’re an amateur historian, geologist, paleontologist, or zoologist—or simply someone who appreciates the importance of the National Park Service—this underrated national park has something for you.
Here’s what you need to know before planning a trip to Petrified Forest National Park.
Places to Eat
Painted Desert Diner
“The Painted Desert [Diner] has the best Navajo tacos,” says Heberer. “They are the restaurant here at the park, and you don’t even have to pay for park entry to access. They are right off I-40 exit 311. They also have a few daily specials scattered throughout the week, such as some tasty regional delicacies, like mutton stew!”
Swaad Stop
“Swaad Stop is an authentic Indian restaurant less than 20 miles from the park. I haven’t had a dish that I didn’t enjoy from there,” says Heberer. The menu has a number of classics—from butter chicken and chicken biryani to goat and lamb curries.
Bienvenidos Restaurant
If you’re stopping for breakfast, lunch, or dinner in Holbrook, swing by Bienvenidos Restaurant for a hearty meal. The breakfast menu is relatively small but solid: eggs, omelets, chicken fried steak, pancakes, etc. At lunch, fill up on the barbecue brisket sandwich or a deli sandwich. For dinner, go with the ranch burger topped with pulled pork or the green chili burger, served open-faced.