Holbrook/Petrified Forest KOA, near Holbrook, Arizona, is a solid choice for campers looking to explore the nearby Petrified Forest National Park. This campground offers a range of accommodations, from tent sites to cabins, making it suitable for various camping styles.

The amenities here are pretty decent, with clean bathrooms, showers, and even a laundry facility that visitors found easy to use. Many campers appreciated the spacious sites, complete with picnic tables and fire pits, perfect for evening gatherings. One reviewer mentioned, “The campsites were wide and level,” which adds to the overall comfort of your stay.

For those who enjoy a good meal, the campground serves a tasty breakfast with an all-you-can-eat pancake option that’s hard to beat at just $3.99. Plus, there’s a Cowboy Cookout every night, which adds a fun twist to your camping experience. If you’re traveling with pets, there are designated areas for them, although some spots with enclosures can be a bit tricky to snag.

Located just off Interstate 40, this KOA is convenient for travelers, though you might hear some freeway noise. Still, the friendly staff and well-maintained grounds make it a welcoming stop for families and solo adventurers alike. Whether you're just passing through or planning a longer stay, Holbrook/Petrified Forest KOA has what you need for a comfortable camping experience.

Holbrook/Petrified Forest KOA is near the surrounding national parks and monuments. Easy access to I-40 gets you to many attractions, including the Painted Desert and Petrified Forest National Park (20 minutes). All sites are pull-through, level, and with a picnic table. We are "Big Rig Friendly" with a variety of large sites. Dogs and cats are welcome.

Holbrook/Petrified Forest KOA

Whether you're an RVer or tent camper, Holbrook, AZ is a great place to post up for the weekend—or longer. Camping, hiking, biking: however you want to spend your days near Holbrook, you'll find great campgrounds with The Dyrt. Find the best campgrounds near Holbrook, AZ. Read reviews from campers like you and find your perfect campsite.

Holbrook

The Best Camping Near Holbrook, Arizona

The KOA in Holbrook, AZ, is conveniently located just west of Petrified Forest National Park. A quick 10-minute drive to the SW entrance will reward you with a quiet, easy entrance to the park. From there, you can drive through the park and end up at the main visitor center on the northern end, near the Painted Desert.

This campground has a nice, yet older, playground, a swimming pool (open seasonally), and offers full hookups (including cable for an extra fee), tent sites, and cabins. The "kamping  kitchen" is open for cowboy cookouts, including dinner and breakfast (at extra charge), and we sampled their all-you-can-eat pancake breakfast, which was the best one our 5-year-old ate on our entire trip! Right near the kitchen is a sampling of petrified wood to get you in the spirit of exploration. The owners are very friendly, and even in June this campground felt uncrowded. Sites are a bit close together, but with our small 17-foot trailer, we had plenty of room, a picnic table, and fire ring. The owners were also helpful about giving directions and suggestions about all the attractions in the area. There is also a laundry room on site.

Holbrook's Family-Friendly Campground

Since there are no developed campgrounds inside Petrified Forest National Park, you have two options: choose a private campground outside of the park, or grab a permit and set off into the backcountry. We did both during our visit in August 2015.

We were pleasantly surprised with our campsite at the KOA outside of Petrified Forest. Typically, we prefer campgrounds that are more scenic and rustic, but after a few weeks on the road, we enjoyed the amenities (hot showers, coin laundry, wifi, all-you-can-eat pancake breakfast) and convenience (less than 30 minutes to the park) of this KOA. We chose the “deluxe” tent site, which, for $2 more than the regular tent site, offered a covered picnic table, hot &amp; cold water, and electricity at the site. The campground was nearly empty at this time of the year, so although the sites are close together, we felt alone. The only downsides would be the less-than-inspiring scenic views and the cramped sites during peak season.

The proximity and position of this campground to the national park allows for easy visiting and minimal backtracking. We’d suggest starting your trip along Highway 40 to the northern Painted Desert Visitor Center to get acquainted with the park, then making your way south and exit near the Rainbow Forest Museum. Simply return to the campground via Highway 180\.

Inside the park (north to south), here are the must-sees: the Painted Desert National Historic Landmark (try to time it and attend a free ranger guided tour), the Blue Forest, Jasper Forest (below this overlook was our favorite trail of the park!), Crystal Forest, and the Giant Logs area. Don’t forget to stop at both visitor centers for more information about this fascinating geologic anomaly.

You can read much more about our four days in the park on our blog: [Switchback Kids (Petrified Forest)](http://switchbackkids.com/petrified-forest/)

Convenience over scenery near Petrified Forest National Park

The Holbrook KOA is conveniently near Petrified national forest, which makes it an easy place to set up camp because of it's proximity. The campsite was somewhat under construction and it looked like they were adding some additional campsites which is exciting. They offer plenty of amenities (running water, electricity, wifi and playgrounds for the kids.

All of the tent campsites are right next to each other, so you will get to know your neighbors pretty well. When I went I was the only person tent camping which made it great for privacy. My only issue with the campsite is the location of where the tent camps are set up, it is really close to the I-40, you will hear truckers and other cars drive by while your sleeping at night which made it difficult to fall asleep. I think it would be better if they moved the tent camping to the other side of the park that way your farther away from all the highway noise.

Average Campsite

Stayed in a cabin here and had a terrible time. Nothing like getting rained on due to a hole in the roof of the cabin. I had cabin H. We also got woken up by people trying to get into the cabin. I can't blame them the cabin didn't have a letter clearing marking it as cabin H. Also we had a hard time finding the cabin in the first place due to signage being wrong. Shrubs are grownup were it is difficult to get to the door of the cabin.

I also heard one of the maintenance people talking about some cabins that the hot water heater wasn't working correctly.

If you run into trouble don't expect help or understanding from the manager or staff. While writing about my experience on other sites i kept wondering how these folks got good reviews in the past. then i saw a post dated around 2 months ago saying that they had new owners. so be forewarned.

if you stayed in the past be prepared for a totally new experience

We added in Petrified Forest National Park at the last minute and needed a place to stay. We arrived after sunset, showered with hot showers, kids played at the playground, enjoyed pancake breakfast the next morning.

The site was basically a gravel parking lot with picnic table. We were in a camper van and the hum of RV ACs was very loud. We were hot, even after night fall, but it got them job done. If I had known there was camping closer to the Natinoal park, I would have done more research and stayed there. Oh well.

picked it late arrival/early departure, near Petrified Forest,

Very nice park , pool is nice, lots for kids to do, camp sites are close together not much shade, but very nice park with lots to see and do in area

Very nice, nice pool, basketball courts

After driving some 3 hours from our last destination and exploring the Petrified Forest and Painted Desert in the harsh wind, we were exhausted upon pulling into our campsite at Holbrook Petrified Forest KOA. Seeing how windburn we were from the journey, we were offered an upgraded "super tent" site upon our arrival for only a $5.00 charge. The appeal was such that we jumped on the opportunity.

To those unfamiliar with KOA campsites, they offer a variety of options for campers from primitive camping to improved campsites for both tents and rv campers. Super tent sites include electricity and runnin water as well as private yard area for campers. At this particular site it offered a wind shield fence and private treed yard which made for a much more camp friendly experience after the long day.

We had neighbors on the other super tent site which were delightful and we greatly enjoyed conversations with them throughout the evening. The campground was filled with friendly faces! 

Perhaps one of the most exciting features for us after such a long cold journey from our previous campsite was the amenities throughout the grounds which included a cook station open to the public and heated bathroom and shower facilities. The grounds were well kept and easy to navigate by foot.

In the evenings and mornings there was a cook on duty which offered everything from hot dogs to New York strip in the evening and all you can eat pancakes or other breakfast items.

🐰🐰🐰🐰🐰

All in all we give this site a 5 of 5 Bunnies because of the cleanliness, friendliness and overall amenities.  There were no real areas of improvement we could see to make our stay better!

Upgraded tent sites for those windy nights

This KOA has lot's of space, from private tent sites to RV with full hookups, fully equipped cabins, even a giant Wigwam to stay at. It also has a pool, playground, small libary, and a well stocked store, everyday they cook food that you can buy instead of cooking yourself. This KOA is in the route 66 town of Holbrook, a small quiet town, with gas, groceries, and fast food all with in a mile of the campsite, the Petirfied Forest is a 30 mintue drive away and worth the trip. During this trip we took a big family group, and normally we tent camp, but we decided to stay in their biggest cabin, it was big and beautiful 3 a/c units, full small kitchen, loft full bathroom and lot's of comfy seat's, all you had to do was bring your clothes and food, everything was there for you. From the gas grill to the fully equipped kitchen, it was a super easy stay. This cabin slept 7 and had a eat in porch as well. It was a little on the pricey side at $160 a night but we felt worth it's price.Check out the video for a video tour of the cabin.

Clean, friendly, and comfy

This campground is great if you’re trying to check out the Petried Forest! The campground is clean and the staff are friendly. We stayed in the two person cabin with a bathroom. The bathroom looks like it was just added and it’s really nice! It is a walk-in shower so it is handicap accessible. The campground also offers an all you can eat pancake breakfast that is great. Would definitely go to this campground again.

Very nice! 

Stayed at a FHU PT for the night, on my way to the Petrified Forest. The sites are gravel, but not well maintained compared to other campgrounds that are all gravel. There was a lot of machinery and work equipment laying around. The staff was very friendly and the shop was very well stocked. A little overpriced imo.

Gravel parking lot

I stayed two nights here to visit the Petrified Forest.  The tent sites sit packed together on the perimeter of the park overlooking the highway, which you can here all night long.  This was the most expensive campsite I’ve visited on my road trip, yet they were unable to provide me with a charcoal grill and the fire ring was filled with garbage.  

The facilities are clean, at least they have got that right.

Overpriced!

Over priced 

Easy to park, many kind of services. Full hook up to separate spaces with grills and tables. Bathroom are very clean and hot water showers. Fun to stay. Convinience Store with everything inside. 

Perfect place near the Petrified forest

Stopped here on our way out west and stayed in a cabin. The cabin was clean and well maintained. If you’re thinking about tent camping, check the weather for wind because the area is quite windy. Playground was old school and made of metal, so not ideal for kids in the heat. The pool was a nice relief from the heat and the store had lots of camping basics if you need them. 

Decent Stop If Passing Through

Nice park with open pool. Not far from the National Parks which is a great day trip.

Close to National Park

I typically rate campgrounds as they fit into 1 of 5 categories. This campground will be rated as a Basecamp — grounds that offer a comfortable home base that you’re happy to return to after a day of exploring the surrounding area. 
Ratings for this category are based on:
Value to cost: 3
Overall grounds: 3
Utility of sites (hookups, layout, accessibility): 3
Local Attraction Proximity: 4
Reservation Process/Ease of Getting a Site: 5
Amenities: 3
Customer Service: 4
Cleanliness: 3

We’ve come to expect about the same consistent standard for most KOA Journey Campgrounds in which we’ve stayed. Reliable hookups, level sites, minimal privacy for standard sites, limited space between sites and basic amenities. This KOA fits comfortably into this standard. Sites were pretty close together with just a few young trees between, but the grounds were only about 50% full during our visit, so it felt spacious. Our site was level and hookups were steady but a little beat-up (electric box, water spigot). WiFi was very good, only got a little spotty in the evenings. The only amenity we used was the pool, which was large and a nice temperature, but not frequently skimmed and not much on the pool deck for lounging. Great for a dip, though. The nearby playground looked like it left something to be desired, though we didn’t test that theory. There was no road noise, the grounds were silent at night. 

The front office was nice enough, no complaints, and the reservation system was straightforward, as always. At $50/night on average, there wasn’t a whole lot reinforcing the cost, but proximity to Petrified Forest National Park was certainly the reason to visit. It’s about 25 minutes To the park and it’s totally worth at least a half-day visit to explore, even if you’re just passing through. There are lots of reasonably priced gas stations, rock shops and fast food options nearby, but Holbrook doesn’t offer much more.  I’d say the best option for any nearby proximity to the park, stay for 2 nights if you’re able. 

A good Basecamp for Petrified Forest

We got in late so the campground was quiet but what was fascinating was that when we walked out dogs to the back of the campground toward the highway there was a whole section that blocked the highway sounds completely. No idea how that was happening but we could watch the trucks coming East and west and when they were directly in front of the campground the sounds all went silent. Very cool!! Easy and level spots so hookup was a breeze! Great place to stop for a night or two.

Easy and quiet

Nothing fancy but just what we needed. Staff is friendly and helpful. Sites are very close together but most seem to have some sort of tree offering some shade and every site had a picnic table. Restrooms are clean and well kept as is laundry area. Nearby the Petrified Forrest is breathtakingly gorgeous! 

Perfect location

This was our first KOA experience and it was a great spot to stop.  We stayed one night as we were traveling cross county and this was convenient.  They have the new cabins and a very nice layout. There is not much to do close by except for the petrified forest 20+ miles away; so we decided to visit the park the day we left, I would suggest planning a 3 to 4 hour effort to drive through the park since it is a long driving self tour and you can get out and see the sites. We stayed in a full hook up, drive through, level, and the WiFi was good.  Not much road noise. They have the good ol' slide and merry go round that are had to find for kids now a days!

Good 1-night stay

Convenient to the interstate, clean, straight forward, and easy spot to stop while traveling! 

There was substantial road noise from our spot but not overwhelming and feels the price to pay for a campground so convenient to the highway. 

Prices do seem a bit steep for what’s on offer. 

Great for stopover

Stayed here on our way from california to home. Greeter was awesome he was very very helpful. Full hookups pull through spot. Pretty level site. We did have to use washer and dryers. Almost all the washers were fictional on the other hand only 3 of 8 dryers worked. We did decide to use the showers so we could take a little longer shower and shave and not have to take a navy shower. Showers were very clean and spacious to change in. The staff the next morning was very helpful with info to have breakfast and pick up some fluids needed for vehicles. Very close to the petrified forest which is a must see, also close to meteor crater. We plan on coming back and staying here again to actually hike some of the trails in the forest. 

Great stay

You are basically on the side of interstate. For tent it is really noisy option as tent sites are closest to the highway. In addition is rather expensive option ($33 per small tent). 


Expensive and noisy 

I stayed in as deluxe tent site for one night after visiting the nearby national parks. Restaurants within walking distance, pleasant staff. Facilities are ok.

Met my needs

The gift shop is nice.  The rest of the park looks aged with lots of goat heads around park. Water pressure is low and WIFI is terrible. Fine for a night traveling through. 

Basic KOA

Busy place. 

Easy access. 

Ok bathrooms and showers - clean but tired 

Hooks ups good 

Staff nice and direct 

Sunset unbelievable

Well kept - easy access spot

Stayed here Nov 21-23, 2021. 

Firstly, these sites are pretty tight.  They are level, but tight.  All gravel. Secondly, there's nothing for dogs.  They may advertise as pet friendly, but it's really just not.  There's an area designated for a pet walk, but it's just not a pet walk at all.  You have the option to pay an extra $20 for a site that includes a little area for your doggo, but it's about a 4x4 cage with fake grass.  Really only big enough for a toy chihuahua to comfortably use it for potty time.  The restrooms were clean and decent.  Wifi decent. Laundry facility decent. This place is pretty straight forward in how it's designed and what it has to offer.  If you don't have pets, then this place might be good for you. Overall, it was okay for 2 nights, but no more than that.

Okay.

In my cross country move, I stopped here for a night to visit the Petrified National Park. I had never stayed at a KOA before but got a cabin with no bathroom for 1 night. It was very nice! Cozy. There was a strong heater, and it was pet friendly! The manager was nice and the park was well kept! 

Very Well Kept! 

Check in was a breeze, the attendant had everything mapped out for us before we arrived. Very clean sites. Great cookout was delicious!! We had cheeseburgers with baked beans and potato salad. The only thing that I would change is the motion sensor light that kept turning on like a spot light through our curtains all night.

Nice site

Nice bathroom and shower facilities, Wi-Fi is a bonus since cell connection isn’t the best out here. Free firepits to borrow

Good campsite!

Campground is outdated but good for over night stay which is what it seems most are doing. Close to the Petrified National Forest which is awesome. Sites can be muddy when it rains. Laundry was clean and easy to use. Not sure what the deal is with the double wife’s are in the property. 

Good for short stays

We've stayed here with our littles 4 times over the last 6 years. The service, smiles, clean campsites &amp; restrooms/showers, breakfasts, and cowboy cookouts are all top notch and worth coming back for. Well done, folks!

One of our favorite stops!

Rolled in to enjoy a nice sunset. Spots are narrow but long. Kid and doggo loved the amenities. Everyone there was nice. They had $4 all you can eat pancakes but we didn’t partake. They also offer dinner. Clean bathrooms, good showers. 

Quick stop on way home

Large gravel lot. Modern utilities, large sites.

Good overnight stay

We live in the Phoenix area, and we use this KOA as a launching off point for trips to the East. The staff are always friendly and helpful. The grounds are well maintained. We were assigned spot #58 which is a big spot with a paver patio, furniture and a firepit. It also has privacy fencing on each side and full hookups. With our KOA discount it was $81.83. This was our first time with this large of a spot. Next time, we will go back to a regular spot again for a better price. The location is just off Interstate 40 which makes it convenient, but you can hear some of the freeway noise and an occasional train. They serve a delicious breakfast with a good variety that has an all you can eat pancake option for only $3.99. There is also a Cowboy Cookout every night. They are making more improvements to the grounds. Some spots will have a private enclosed patio with a gazebo and fire pit. For dog owners, there are some spots with your own enclosure, but those are hard to get. There is a dog run as well as a designated dog walking area with trees and trash cans.

Never disappoints

Great proximity to the Petrified forrest NP. Campsites were wide and level. Nice amenities include the chairs, table and fire pit. It also had a fair amount of privacy. Nice experience. Staff were. friendly and helpful.

The power did go out with 102F. The staff restored power and came around to all campsites with the status, Much appreciated.

Nice location if coming to Holbrook AZ

Easy on and off interstate. Level sites. Clean campground. Looks like renovating some areas...nice. All the amenities of a KOA. Serves breakfast and dinner...nice

Nice KOA 

My first KOA—pricey for a tent spot (car camping) with a small shared area and limited tables. Tent spots are in view of noisy I40. I did feel safe here, considering the KOA branding, and liked the shorter drive to PFNP. Facilities are nice, otherwise, with close bathhouses and a sweet little chuckwagon serving breakfast and dinner. 

Convenient and Secure

Stayed here overnight to visit the Petrified Forest National Park.

Staff was friendly and helpful. The "cowboy" breakfasts and dinners are simple friendly events, although I didn't eat there.

Lots are standard RV set-ups, all right next to each other. Lot was fairly level, but still needed from front/back leveling even in my small van. Gravel driveways, gravel lots.

Laundry had about 5-6 washers and the same number of dryers.

This location is near a highway that is busy all night. You are not right on the highway, but the steady sound of cars and trucks can be heard all night. Not super loud, but not peaceful either.

Wifi was slow and inconsistent. Even though I was right by the main building, my connection sometimes said "unable to connect, try moving closer", or just wouldn't connect, or if it did, was unusably slow. Verizon wireless was great though (about 10mb).

I'd stay again for a convenient overnight.

Good spot for a night - convenient

Tent sites are lacking. There was a grass pad right next to me that nobody used and was roped off. The bathroom closest to the tent sites was also still closed for the season. The amenities make up for it a bit. Pool, laundry, store, small restaurant that does breakfast and dinner, horseshoes. 

Photos of Holbrook/Petrified Forest KOA

Real photos from real campers