Petrified Forest National Park Self Guided Audio Driving Tour
- 6 hours
- Free cancellation up to 24h before
- Guided in English
- Instant confirmation
Highlights
Experience the ancient wonder of Petrified Forest National Park on our guided tour! Our self-guided audio tour will turn your smartphone into a personal guide as it takes you on a journey through time to explore the stunning landscape of this unique national park. Marvel at the incredible petrified wood that gives the park its name, as well as the ancient fossils and vibrant rock formations that tell the story of this area's rich geological history. We'll share fascinating insights into the park's history and ecology, including the ancient cultures that once called this area home. With stops at multiple viewpoints and scenic overlooks, you'll have plenty of opportunities to take in the breathtaking beauty of this one-of-a-kind national park. *Download the Shaka Guide app to access the purchased tours*
Inclusions
What's included
- Tours NEVER expire
- Offline Audio Guided Tour: Hours of audio narration with stories, travel tips and music
- Offline map (map and GPS work completely offline - no wifi or data needed)
- Take the tour when you want - download the tour and choose the day that works best for you
- Tour highlights with activity and restaurant recommendations
- Turn-by-turn directions using GPS
- Freedom to explore at your own pace - pick the stops you want, skip the ones you don’t
- Audio narration that plays automatically as you drive
What's not
- Private Transportation
- Meals & Refreshments
Itinerary
Stop at the visitor center for a quick bathroom break! These flush toilets are the cleanest you'll find until the Rainbow Forest Museum on the other end of the park.
The expanse of the Painted Desert is plainly viewable from the overlook, easily accessible behind the Painted Desert Inn via a short path from the parking lot.
This is a small, vault toilet by the parking lot.
These conical hills, banded with several shades of mudstones, are said to resemble Tepees. There are two pull-offs on the side of Petrified Forest Rd to park the car and get a good view--the North Pullout and the South Pullout, which is also the trailhead for the "Off the Beaten Path" Blue Forest Trail.
The Blue Mesa is one of the most beautiful parts of the park, with more opportunities to discover the strange, eroded badlands. Atop the Blue Mesa, the road splits and becomes a one-way loop. Stop at the first pull-offs for a glimpse of the badlands, and the first petrified wood deposit you see coming from the north.
This 100-ft long petrified log sits on top of a small chasm, forming a bridge. When the park opened, visitors could stand on top of it! Today, the log is off-limits and supported by concrete, but this is a quick, easy stop for an impressively long piece of petrified wood.
An overlook sits over a desert plain with a dense petrified wood deposit below. Want a closer look? Another ‘off the beaten path’ trail leads from the right of the parking lot down to the deposit following a well-worn path to the wash. Then it’s just you and the petrified wood–a truly astonishing and bizarre landscape.
This 0.75-mile hike makes a loop through one of the park's major petrified wood deposits. The paved trail and mostly flat topography make for an easy hike, and one accessible for those with wheelchairs or strollers.
If you only visit one visitor center in the national park, make it this one! In addition to the typical orientation video, gift shop, restrooms, and information desk, you'll find exhibits on the area's paleontology including fossils found in the park. Behind the building is the 0.4-mile Giant Logs trail, which passes some of the largest pieces of petrified wood in the park.
Cancellation
Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the experience starts, for a full refund.
Reviews
4.8
- 55
- 41
- 30
- 20
- 10
Ratings come from 6 reviews collected by our booking partner. They are travellers' own words, in the order they were written — never reordered to flatter the experience.
Know before you go
- Meeting point
- Recommended Start Time: Before 11:00 a.m.
- Pickup
- Everyone meets at the starting point; there is no pickup.
- Ticket type
- Mobile or paper ticket accepted
- Operated by
- Shaka Guide Apps
- Wheelchair accessible
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Service animals allowed
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- Travelers must have a smartphone compatible with the Shaka Guide app.
- The app must be downloaded and the tour redeemed before arrival.
- Strong Wi-Fi or cellular data is required to download the tour in advance.
- Location services (GPS) must be enabled on the device
How it compares in USA, outside the cities
- Its from-price is 93% below the median of the 139 day trips we list in USA, outside the cities.
- Its length is typical for the group.
- By number of reviews it ranks 51 of 139.
- The operator lists free cancellation on it.
Special offers in USA, outside the cities
Was/now prices come from the operator, never from us.
