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All 4 Petrified Forest National Park Attractions »

Painted Desert

P.O. Box 221, Petrified Forest National Park, AZ 86028
520-524-6228
4.5 of 5 stars 197 Reviews
Type: Deserts
Activities: Camping, Hiking
Description: This desert is famous for its striking bands of colors.
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197 reviews from our community

Visitor rating
    125
    53
    17
    2
    0
Date Rating
Max Meadows
Contributor
11 reviews 11 reviews
Reviews in 6 cities Reviews in 6 cities
1 helpful vote 1 helpful vote
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 28 May 2012 NEW

I spent most of a day here and really pushed myself. A full day would have been better. This is a scenic enjoyable place to visit.

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San Antonio, Texas
Contributor
19 reviews 19 reviews
Reviews in 8 cities Reviews in 8 cities
1 helpful vote 1 helpful vote
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 27 May 2012 NEW

Amazing place. Beautiful, lots to see, and great staff

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Corning, California
Contributor
16 reviews 16 reviews
Reviews in 9 cities Reviews in 9 cities
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 26 May 2012 NEW

Visiting this Natural treasure is worth every minute. A must for everyone

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Toronto, Canada
Reviewer
3 reviews 3 reviews
Reviews in 3 cities Reviews in 3 cities
2 helpful votes 2 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 15 May 2012

Never seen place, amazing, movie gave very good idea about painted desert, will go again in near future

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Columbus, Ohio
Senior Contributor
28 reviews 28 reviews
Reviews in 23 cities Reviews in 23 cities
14 helpful votes 14 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 15 May 2012

It looks like the desert is painted (different layers of color within the same hill). Go at sunrise or sunset for best photos. There is a nice hike starting near the 'Painted Desert Inn' (the trail is hidden, you have to look for it on the side of the building), and that is about 1-2 miles long. It takes you... More

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Mesa, Arizona
Top Contributor
50 reviews 50 reviews
Reviews in 24 cities Reviews in 24 cities
32 helpful votes 32 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 12 May 2012

I am intrigued by petrified wood and this is defiantly the place to see it. Just the sheer amount of wood is amazing and this is after years of plundering. It may not be the most exciting drive, but you will be glad you went. Let your eyes see the beauty of the wood.

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California
Senior Contributor
23 reviews 23 reviews
Reviews in 14 cities Reviews in 14 cities
9 helpful votes 9 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 8 May 2012
4
people found this review helpful

My husband and I couldn't decide if we were going to take our kids here on our week long road trip. Our kids are young and we just didn't think an added drive was going to impress them. After talking with a gentleman at our hotel who raved about his ride - we decided to go. We had an amazing... More

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Lakeside, Arizona
Contributor
11 reviews 11 reviews
Reviews in 5 cities Reviews in 5 cities
2 helpful votes 2 helpful votes
4 of 5 stars Reviewed 6 May 2012

The unique beauty of this desert area cannot be duplicated anywhere where else in the world period.

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Huntsville, Alabama
Senior Contributor
26 reviews 26 reviews
Reviews in 20 cities Reviews in 20 cities
68 helpful votes 68 helpful votes
4 of 5 stars Reviewed 4 May 2012
1
person found this review helpful

After seeing some amazing natural sites driving through Arizona and Utah for a solid week, this was a bit of a disappointment. If you're just starting your Arizona road trip, consider visiting here first instead of last.

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Warwick, United Kingdom
Senior Contributor
39 reviews 39 reviews
Reviews in 26 cities Reviews in 26 cities
11 helpful votes 11 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 30 April 2012

Stunning landscape, incredible colours and rock formations. Give yourself plenty of time to hike, take pictures or just gawp. Check out the old inn, which is now a museum.

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