Best Dispersed Camping near Petrified Forest Natl Park, AZ

Dirt lot with about 20 spots for RVs, trailers, campervans, or any other self contained camper. They don't allow tent camping because there are no bathrooms available. Dumpster was in the lot for trash. Reading other reviews they mentioned no electric, at this site, but there are boxes next to each campground with 30amp outlets. My camper doesn't use shore power, so I wasn't able to test the boxes. Attached a photo of what the outlet looks like if anyone wants to give it a try. There are paid sites across the road specifically for anyone who needs an electric hook up.

Overall was quiet, but we also went on a day in December and there was noone else at the campground.

 I always appreciate when cities allow overnight parking in town. As boondockers, it’s hard to explore a city and then go out to the outskirts to find a place for the night, so it’s always a treat to stay within walking distance of a town with things to do. 

This is a large paved lot, adjacent to an even larger paved gravel lot, where overnight parking is allowed. We arrived on a Saturday late morning and left the next morning. The visitor center was never open for us to go in while we were there.

There was plenty of space for us to put out our slides. There is a dumpster in the parking lot but no other amenities. Good cell service here for both ATT and Verizon.

It’s a few blocks from the fun and kitchy part of town with all the “Standing on the Corner” things, plus some other interesting things to see and some good places to eat. 

** VERY noisy trains all night long. Not just trains passing by, but some kind of dramatic CLU-CLUNKing going on pretty frequently.  We'd stay here again just for the convenience, but we'll bring ear plugs next time.

This is an old dirt lot with several sites for overnight RV parking, which the gift shop allows for free for a night as long as you are self-contained. No tent camping or sleeping in your car allowed (because there are no restrooms available). 

Each spot has a picnic table and a few have a shade structure as well.

The other side of the street has more sites available for $15/night and they include power hookups. No other amenities available here. 

These lots are just outside the Petrified Forest NP south entrance and it’s so convenient to stay here if you’re going to be visiting the park. We stopped at the gift shop to make sure we were good to park here for the night and also to make an obligatory “thank you” purchase. They have lots of jewelry, petrified wood pieces (ranging from cheap to crazy expensive for the large polished pieces), clothing, gifts, stickers, etc. They also sell beer for $3/can but all they have is Budweiser. 

Good-ish cell reception here. AT&T had 3G, Verizon had LTE, and T-Mobile was roaming as always.

The Petrified Forest National Park does not have its own car camping campground (there are only backcountry backpacking sites, requiring permits, gear, walking, skills, etc). This rather touristy campground is right outside the National Park. It is pretty basic and incredibly it is totally free. It does have electric hookups for a small fee, The sites are large and out in the open with no shade...dismal in the hot AZ sun! There’s a teepee village you can also use, would be a big hit for kids. The gift shop has some snacks and lots of interesting geological trinkets. At night it is beautifully dark.