Petrified Forest National Park is a National Park in Arizona. This guide combines the park's official information with computed sunrise, sunset and Milky Way times, satellite climate data and 4 photo locations inside or next to the park.
Best photo spots in Petrified Forest
We matched 4 named overlooks, waterfalls, peaks and other features to Petrified Forest. Each has its own page with sun directions and a monthly golden hour table.
Natural Arches (3)
Dark Sky Places (1)
Sunrise, sunset & golden hour
At Petrified Forest 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 32° in winter.
| Month (15th) | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Sunset az. | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 7:27 AM | 8:05 AM | 4:53 PM | 5:31 PM | 245° | 10h 04m |
| February | 7:06 AM | 7:41 AM | 5:27 PM | 6:02 PM | 255° | 10h 56m |
| March | 6:31 AM | 7:04 AM | 5:54 PM | 6:27 PM | 268° | 11h 57m |
| April | 5:48 AM | 6:22 AM | 6:18 PM | 6:52 PM | 283° | 13h 04m |
| May | 5:17 AM | 5:52 AM | 6:40 PM | 7:16 PM | 294° | 14h 00m |
| June | 5:06 AM | 5:43 AM | 6:58 PM | 7:35 PM | 300° | 14h 30m |
| July | 5:17 AM | 5:54 AM | 6:58 PM | 7:34 PM | 297° | 14h 17m |
| August | 5:40 AM | 6:15 AM | 6:34 PM | 7:09 PM | 288° | 13h 29m |
| September | 6:03 AM | 6:36 AM | 5:54 PM | 6:28 PM | 274° | 12h 25m |
| October | 6:26 AM | 7:00 AM | 5:11 PM | 5:45 PM | 260° | 11h 20m |
| November | 6:54 AM | 7:31 AM | 4:38 PM | 5:15 PM | 248° | 10h 20m |
| December | 7:21 AM | 8:00 AM | 4:31 PM | 5:10 PM | 242° | 9h 49m |
Computed for the park's reference point (34.9839, -109.7878); large parks span several minutes of difference.
Milky Way & dark skies
From Petrified Forest, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | Not visible in darkness | — | — |
| February | 4:57 AM – 5:37 AM | 0.7 | 15° |
| March | 3:11 AM – 5:01 AM | 1.8 | 23° |
| April | 1:11 AM – 4:11 AM | 3.0 | 26° |
| May | 11:15 PM – 3:35 AM | 4.3 | 26° |
| June | 9:22 PM – 3:12 AM | 5.8 | 26° |
| July | 9:17 PM – 1:47 AM | 4.5 | 26° |
| August | 8:42 PM – 11:42 PM | 3.0 | 26° |
| September | 7:53 PM – 9:43 PM | 1.8 | 23° |
| October | 7:09 PM – 7:49 PM | 0.7 | 16° |
| November | Not visible in darkness | — | — |
| December | Not visible in darkness | — | — |
1 Estimated Bortle 1 — Excellent dark-sky site. The Milky Way casts faint shadows; zodiacal light and airglow are obvious.
Weather & best time to visit
Petrified Forest National Park is a semi-arid grassland. Temperatures range from above 100° F (38° C) to well below freezing. About 10 inches (25.4 cm) of moisture comes during infrequent snow in the winter and often dramatic summer thunder-storms. Animals and plants are adapted to extremes in temperature and moisture. You should be ready too. Check out the forecast before you arrive and plan accordingly.
Weather overview: National Park Service.
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show June as the clearest month (about 27% average cloud cover) and July as the cloudiest (58%). July is the warmest month and January the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.
Average cloud cover (%)
Average high (°F)
Photography permits, drones & fees
Permits. 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.
| Entrance fee | Cost (USD) |
|---|---|
| Entrance - Private Vehicle | $25.00 |
| Entrance - Per Person | $15.00 |
| Entrance - Motorcycle | $20.00 |
| Commercial Entrance - Sedan | $25.00 |
Fees as published by the NPS when this page was built — confirm on nps.gov before you go.
Getting there
Petrified Forest stretches north/south between I-40 and Hwy 180. There are two entrances into the park.*** ***WESTBOUND I-40***Travelers should take Exit 311, drive 28 miles through the park to Hwy 180 at the south end. Travel 19 miles to return to I-40 via Holbrook.*** ***EASTBOUND I-40***Travelers should take Exit 285 into Holbrook then travel 19 miles on Hwy 180 to the park's south entrance. Drive 28 miles north through the park to return to I-40.
Directions: National Park Service.
Activities
- Arts and Culture
- Cultural Demonstrations
- Auto and ATV
- Scenic Driving
- Astronomy
- Stargazing
- Biking
- Road Biking
- Camping
- Backcountry Camping
- Horse Camping (see also Horse/Stock Use)
- Compass and GPS
- Geocaching
- Orienteering
- Food
- Dining
- Picnicking
- Guided Tours
- Self-Guided Tours - Walking
- Self-Guided Tours - Auto
- Hands-On
- Citizen Science
- Hiking
- Backcountry Hiking
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