Located in Apache County, Arizona, Petrified Forest National Park is a dark sky place. It lies in or next to Petrified Forest National Park, so park hours, fees and rules apply. The nearest town is Holbrook, about 38 km (24 mi) away (Petrified Forest National Park lies ENE of town). It is certified as an International Dark Sky Park by DarkSky International.
Petrified Forest National Park is a national park of the United States in Navajo and Apache counties in northeastern Arizona. Named for its large deposits of petrified wood, the park covers about 346 square miles (900 square kilometers), encompassing semi-desert shrub steppe as well as highly eroded and colorful badlands. The park's headquarters is about 26 miles (42 km) east of Holbrook along Interstate 40 (I-40), which parallels the BNSF Railway's Southern Transcon, the Puerco River, and historic U.S. Route 66, all crossing the park roughly east–west. The site, the northern part of which extends into the Painted Desert, was declared a national monument in 1906 and a national park in 1962. The park received 644,922 recreational visitors in 2018.From the Wikipedia article “Petrified Forest National Park”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Petrified Forest National Park the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 60° (ENE) at the June solstice and 119° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 300° (WNW) in June to 242° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 78° in summer but only 31° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:24 AM | 90° E | 6:31 PM | 271° W | 55° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:06 AM | 60° ENE | 7:37 PM | 300° WNW | 78° | 14h 31m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:08 AM | 89° E | 6:18 PM | 271° W | 55° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:24 AM | 119° ESE | 5:12 PM | 242° WSW | 31° | 9h 47m |
Azimuth is measured clockwise from true north (90° = east, 270° = west). Computed for 2026; values change by less than a degree from year to year.
Golden hour & blue hour by month
Certified dark sky places offer protected night skies — plan around the new moon and the Milky Way core season.
| Month (15th) | Blue hour starts | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Blue hour ends | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 7:00 AM | 7:28 AM | 8:06 AM | 4:53 PM | 5:31 PM | 5:58 PM | 10h 03m |
| February | 6:40 AM | 7:06 AM | 7:41 AM | 5:27 PM | 6:02 PM | 6:28 PM | 10h 56m |
| March | 6:06 AM | 6:31 AM | 7:04 AM | 5:54 PM | 6:27 PM | 6:53 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 5:22 AM | 5:48 AM | 6:22 AM | 6:18 PM | 6:52 PM | 7:18 PM | 13h 04m |
| May | 4:48 AM | 5:16 AM | 5:52 AM | 6:41 PM | 7:17 PM | 7:45 PM | 14h 00m |
| June | 4:36 AM | 5:05 AM | 5:43 AM | 6:58 PM | 7:36 PM | 8:05 PM | 14h 30m |
| July | 4:48 AM | 5:17 AM | 5:54 AM | 6:58 PM | 7:35 PM | 8:04 PM | 14h 18m |
| August | 5:13 AM | 5:40 AM | 6:15 AM | 6:35 PM | 7:09 PM | 7:36 PM | 13h 29m |
| September | 5:38 AM | 6:03 AM | 6:36 AM | 5:54 PM | 6:28 PM | 6:53 PM | 12h 25m |
| October | 6:00 AM | 6:26 AM | 7:00 AM | 5:11 PM | 5:45 PM | 6:11 PM | 11h 20m |
| November | 6:28 AM | 6:55 AM | 7:32 AM | 4:38 PM | 5:15 PM | 5:42 PM | 10h 20m |
| December | 6:53 AM | 7:21 AM | 8:00 AM | 4:31 PM | 5:10 PM | 5:38 PM | 9h 49m |
Local time (America/Phoenix), including daylight saving time. Golden hour runs from about −4° to +6° solar altitude, so the morning golden hour begins during blue hour, before sunrise.
Milky Way & night sky
From Petrified Forest National Park, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 5.8 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 26° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 1 (excellent dark-sky site), which is excellent for astrophotography.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -1° | — |
| February | 4:57 AM – 5:37 AM | 0.7 | 15° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:11 AM – 5:01 AM | 1.8 | 23° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:11 AM – 4:11 AM | 3.0 | 26° | SE → S |
| May | 11:15 PM – 3:35 AM | 4.3 | 26° | SE → SSW |
| June | 9:22 PM – 3:12 AM | 5.8 | 26° | SE → SW |
| July | 9:17 PM – 1:47 AM | 4.5 | 26° | SSE → SW |
| August | 8:42 PM – 11:42 PM | 3.0 | 26° | S → SW |
| September | 7:53 PM – 9:43 PM | 1.8 | 23° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:09 PM – 7:49 PM | 0.7 | 16° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 2° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -19° | — |
Window when the galactic core is at least 10° high during astronomical darkness on the 15th of each month. Pick nights within a few days of the new moon. Plan exact nights with the Milky Way planner.
Estimated sky darkness: 1 Bortle 1 — Excellent dark-sky site. The Milky Way casts faint shadows; zodiacal light and airglow are obvious. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.92 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show June as the clearest month (about 25% average cloud cover) and July as the cloudiest (53%). July is the warmest month and December the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.
Average cloud cover (%)
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High °F | 62 | 67 | 78 | 85 | 95 | 101 | 100 | 98 | 96 | 86 | 75 | 65 |
| Low °F | -1 | -3 | 14 | 19 | 24 | 35 | 50 | 47 | 31 | 14 | 11 | 5 |
| Precip. (in) | 0.7 | 0.7 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0.2 | 1.6 | 1.4 | 1.1 | 0.7 | 0.6 | 0.7 |
Monthly climatology for the surrounding 1° grid cell from NASA POWER (MERRA-2). Mountain sites can be colder and cloudier than the cell average.
Photography tips for this dark sky place
- Use the Milky Way table to find months and hours when the core is above the horizon.
- Use red light only and keep it pointed down to protect others' night vision.
- Set focus on a bright star with live-view magnification, then tape the focus ring.
- Use the NPF rule below to choose the longest exposure before stars trail.
- Scout in daylight if you plan to shoot at night or before sunrise.
Season: Milky Way core season runs roughly March to October; winter offers long nights and bright winter constellations.
Suggested gear: Fast wide lens (f/1.4–f/2.8), Sturdy tripod, Red headlamp, Intervalometer. Work out exposures with the depth of field, ND filter and NPF rule calculators.
Permits, drones & access
National Park Service rules. Under federal law (54 U.S.C. 100905), still photography in National Park Service areas needs a permit only when it (1) takes place where members of the public are not allowed, (2) uses models, sets or props that are not part of the location's natural or cultural resources or administrative facilities, or (3) would cause the park to incur additional administrative costs to monitor the activity. Ordinary visitor and most landscape photography needs no permit. Commercial filming rules are separate and have changed in recent years — confirm current requirements with the park before a paid shoot.
Drones: Launching, landing or operating unmanned aircraft (drones) is prohibited in National Park Service units under a 2014 Superintendent's closure (36 CFR 1.5), except where a park has issued specific written approval. Flying from outside the boundary over park land can also violate park rules and disturb wildlife.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 40 km of Petrified Forest National Park, closest first.
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Petrified Forest National Park?
What time is golden hour at Petrified Forest National Park?
Where does the sun rise and set at Petrified Forest National Park?
Can you see the Milky Way from Petrified Forest National Park?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Petrified Forest National Park?
How far is Petrified Forest National Park from Holbrook?
Sources
Location data: DarkSky International (via Wikidata), Wikipedia. Sun, moon and Milky Way times are computed by LWPhoto Atlas for 2026. Climate: NASA POWER. Sky darkness is a population-based estimate (Walker's law), not a measurement. See data sources & licenses.