Petrified Forest National Park Alerts and Current Conditions

Cover of Brian Russ's guide to Petrified Forest National Park

Last checked: October 25, 2026. This page tracks what's closed, what's changed, and what's coming up at Petrified Forest National Park, Arizona, from the park's alerts, conditions, and hours pages. I check it daily and rewrite it when the park posts something new, so bookmark it rather than an old news story. Unlike many parks, Petrified Forest keeps set gate hours, and in winter it can open late until the roads are safe, so check the park's own alerts the morning you go.

Current alerts

  • Construction at the north entrance, and the visitor center has moved. Visitor center operations are at the Painted Desert Inn for now, two miles past the entrance station. At the north entrance, the Painted Desert Oasis gift shop, gas station, and restaurant are open, and restrooms are available during construction. (NPS)
  • Park headquarters phones are down. Call the Painted Desert Inn visitor center at 928-235-2467 or the Visitor Services office at 928-235-2391 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m., or email pefo_information@nps.gov. (NPS)

Open and closed right now

  • The park road is open daily, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Those hours can change for weather or safety. Entrance is $25 per private vehicle, good for seven days. (NPS)
  • Time zone: the park keeps Mountain Standard Time all year, because most of Arizona doesn't observe daylight saving time.
  • Painted Desert Inn: open 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., and currently serving as the north-end visitor center. (NPS)
  • Rainbow Forest Museum and Visitor Center (south end): open daily, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. (NPS)
  • Painted Desert Visitor Center (north entrance): its listing still shows 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., but the park says visitor center operations have moved to the Painted Desert Inn during construction. Plan on the Inn.
  • Food and fuel: the Painted Desert Oasis restaurant and gas station at the north entrance are open.

Coming up in the next few weeks

  • Thursday, November 26 (Thanksgiving): the whole park is closed, road included.
  • Friday, December 25 (Christmas): the park is closed again.
  • Winter mornings: the park says opening may be delayed until the roads are safe, and it posts delays and closures in its alerts and on its Facebook and Twitter accounts.

What this means for your trip

The hours are what shape a visit here. The park road isn't open around the clock. It runs 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., so plan to be off it by closing time, and if you're driving the whole park end to end, start early enough to stop at the overlooks and trails along the way without rushing. The Painted Desert Inn keeps shorter hours (9 a.m. to 4 p.m.) than the park road, so if you want to talk to a ranger at the north end, get there before 4.

If you come in from the north entrance, don't stop at the Painted Desert Visitor Center for information. Keep driving two miles to the Painted Desert Inn. Fill the tank and grab food at the Oasis before you head in. It's the north entrance's gas station and restaurant, and it's open through the construction.

Watch the clock if you're arriving from New Mexico or the Navajo Nation. While daylight saving time is in effect, the park runs an hour behind them. And if you're traveling over Thanksgiving, don't build a day around Thursday, November 26. The park doesn't just close its buildings that day; the whole park is closed.

Before you go

  • Check the park's current conditions and alerts the morning of your visit, especially in winter.
  • Questions: call 928-235-2467 (Painted Desert Inn) or 928-235-2391 (Visitor Services), 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., or email pefo_information@nps.gov.
  • The park's conditions page links road conditions for Arizona, New Mexico, California, and Utah if you're driving in from a distance.

If a closure knocks out part of your plan, my guide to Petrified Forest National Park has nine one- to three-day itineraries at easy, moderate, and strenuous effort, each with a backup plan for weather or closures. You can also check alerts and conditions for every national park.

This page is independent and not affiliated with or endorsed by the National Park Service. Always check the park's current alerts before you go.