Free Camping Collection

Dispersed Camping

Petrified Forest National Wilderness Area — Petrified Forest National Park

7 Reviews

About

National Park

There is no RV, car, or front country camping in the park. There is no boondocking, dispersed or “primitive” camping, or just pulling off into a parking area.

There is only backpacking/hiking into the designated Petrified Forest National Wilderness Area to spend the night in the park, at least a half mile from your vehicle. Please be prepared for this adventure! Remember to LNT.

The backpacking wilderness permit is free. You may obtain it in person from either visitor centers on the day that you want to backpack. Each vehicle must have a permit. The permits are available until 4:30 pm.

There are private campgrounds throughout Navajo and Apache Counties, in and around Holbrook, Sun Valley, St. Johns, Joseph City, and other communities.

Groups

Group camping is limited to 8. Because of the fragile soils and landscape features, minimum impact camping is very important. This includes limiting the number of people within an area.

Reservation Info

There is no fee, but you must obtain a permit to camp in the back country.

Group camping is limited to 8. Because of the fragile soils and landscape features, minimum impact camping is very important. This includes limiting the number of people within an area.

Suggest an Edit

The Dyrt Alerts

Get reservations at sold-out campgrounds.

Learn More

Access

Hike-In
Backcountry sites.

Stay Connected

WiFi
Unknown
Verizon
Unknown
AT&T
Available
T-Mobile
Available

Site Types

Tent Sites

Features

For Campers

Phone Service
Pets

Rent an RV near Chambers, Arizona

Find RVs Nearby

Jeremy A.

Ranger

Reviewed Jun. 30, 2023

You deserve a break, turn off the interstate and tune into the Painted Desert.

Backcountry Backpacking only. Get your free permit. Whatever you pack out the minimum half mile from your car is what you have, the desert supplies the rest.Be prepared for the high desert and you’ll enjoy it.

See the night sky stars, a very wary herd of pronghorn antelope, the Triassic Chinle Formation that gives the Painted Desert its name, Route 66, Pteroglyphs, Puebloan Civilization sites, and one of the largest deposits of Petrified wood on earth.

SiteRight over there, on the horizon. *waves broadly*

Month of VisitDecember

(20) View All

Jeff N.

Legend

Reviewed Mar. 29, 2021

A must see

Unfortunately contracting/spreading covid is more likely when you camp alone, so that’s off limits for now, but you can day use the park, and mingle with all the other day users.. much safer 😂 Anyway, it’s a gorgeous place with the highest concentration of petrified wood known to man.

(7) View All

Michael C.

Legend

Reviewed Nov. 22, 2020

No services, No worried

I had my reservations about going here. I thought would see the park in 20-30 minutes. We took almost three hours to drive the 25 miles through the park. Some areas are very austere, however the OTHER areas more than make up for it. The Petrified Forest is NOT a bunch of rocks laying around. (Ok there are plenty of those too) but awe inspiring views and colors that will blow you away. Please, if you are traveling Route 66 (I-40) and you are near Holbrook AZ, you will not be disappointed.