Just returned from one of my favorite places, Petrified Forest National Park in northeast Arizona. Located 20 miles east of Holbrook it is easily accessed from I-40. Typically visitors pay the entrance fee, use the restroom and drive on through the loop, but there is more here. Wilderness areas at the northern and southern ends offer backpacking opportunities for those with drive and experience. Be warned: the terrain is harsher than it appears. There is no water available so you must pack in all you need.
Free permits are required and are obtained at the visitors center. The park sells 1:50,000 maps which you should purchase when picking up your permit. Be sure to ask the rangers about the current and forecasted weather conditions for your stay. Conditions vary during time of year, so pay attention. You are responsible for your own safety when hiking in this remote area. Cell phone service is spotty to non-existent in the backcountry so do not count on being able to call for help. Pick your route carefully, and let the rangers know your itinerary and length of stay.
The Painted Desert Wilderness area lies just beyond the northern edge of the park. There is a trail descending .25 miles from the Painted Desert Inn, where you park if hiking this section. The trail soon stops, and now you must rely on your own navigation skills. There are no trails, no trail signs, and very few landmarks available. Your ability to correctly read and interpret maps and use your compass is critical here - this cannot be overstated.
The Painted Desert Wilderness area lies just beyond the northern edge of the park. There is a trail descending .25 miles from the Painted Desert Inn, where you park if hiking this section. The trail soon stops, and now you must rely on your own navigation skills. There are no trails, no trail signs, and very few landmarks available. Your ability to correctly read and interpret maps and use your compass is critical here - this cannot be overstated.
Pick a location and head there. Overnight camps must be located one mile or further away from the park boundary, or a half mile or so past Lithodendron Wash, a prominent feature visible from the rim and as you cross it. This is a Leave No Trace area. You are expected to carry out everything you brought in. Yes, this includes human solid waste and toilet paper. Wag bags actually work really well. Remember where you are - in a sensitive area where decomposition takes years.
Be sure to brush up on your physical geography before coming here. This badland area has it all - bentonite hills packed with selenite. Dry washes, quick sand in wet weather, petrified wood in several varieties, cryptobiotic soil and sage brush are
all visible at every minute. There are hazards, and you are solely responsible for your safety here. The weather is changeable, and will be either hotter or colder than you planned. The washes are not passible while flooding, and you will have to wait before crossing. There are rattlesnakes and scorpions. Due to the nature of the expansive soil, you will see something called piping. This feature looks like a small cave in the clay hills. These collapse and reform all the time. If you try to go in you will not likely come out alive. No joke here.
all visible at every minute. There are hazards, and you are solely responsible for your safety here. The weather is changeable, and will be either hotter or colder than you planned. The washes are not passible while flooding, and you will have to wait before crossing. There are rattlesnakes and scorpions. Due to the nature of the expansive soil, you will see something called piping. This feature looks like a small cave in the clay hills. These collapse and reform all the time. If you try to go in you will not likely come out alive. No joke here.
Hiking here is not for everyone. It has a stark beauty, and a great place for solitude. You must be prepared for difficult hiking on sandy, unstable surfaces with no water or shade. Personal responsibility is required, so bring your own first aid and know how to use it. This is a Wilderness Area, and as such you may not take so much as a twig or a pebble. It is a problem here, and prepare to be searched as you leave the park. Theft of resources, particularly petrified wood is a problem and there is an inspection station at the exit. Remember you must pack out everything you pack in and leave nothing, including your tp, behind. (Use the wag bags. Really.)
If you go, enjoy your stay. As always, you are responsible for your actions. Backpacking in remote wilderness areas can be inherently dangerous if you do not take reasonable safety measures typical in the backpacking community. The information here is a thumbnail sketch based on my experiences - you need to be fully prepared on your own.
