Hiking the Crystal Forest Trail in Petrified Forest National Park
Distance: 0.8 miles / 1.3 km
The Crystal Forest Trail, sometimes called the Crystal Forest Loop Trail, traverses an area of badlands that is arguably the best collection of petrified wood in all of Petrified Forest National Park!
That being said, yes, there are many other areas with significant amounts of petrified wood, including the Jasper Forest Trail, the Long Logs and Agate House Trail, and the Giant Logs Trail; none are as large of a collection or as easy to see, making the Crystal Forest one of the best and most accessible day hikes in Petrified Forest to truly enjoy the park for which it is aptly named.
Crystal Forest Trailhead Parking
Parking for the Crystal Forest Trail is located in a large paved parking lot, about 20.1 miles (32.3 km) south of the Painted Desert Visitor Center or about 5.8 miles (9.3 km) north of the Rainbow Forest Museum.
On a different note, the Crystal Forest Trail tends to be one of the more popular day hikes in Petrified Forest, but finding a spot to park is usually never an issue.
Google Maps Directions: Crystal Forest Trailhead
Hiking Checklist - Petrified Forest
Here is a complete list of must-have things that you will want for any hike in Petrified Forest National Park.
Hiking the Crystal Forest Trail
The Crystal Forest Trail begins on a mostly flat trail before splitting into the loop that passes through the rolling hills of the Painted Desert badlands, where the Crystal Forest is located.
Crystal Forest Loop Trail
This is where the Crystal Forest Trail splits into the 0.7-mile (1.1 km) loop, which I chose to hike in the counterclockwise direction.
Here, go right once again to continue around the Crystal Forest Loop Trail.
This split is for the picnic area that you can see in the photo above.
Once on the loop, the Crystal Forest Trail will pass by several large collections of petrified wood, but in my opinion, none are as impressive as the logs toward the end of the loop.
These sections on the far side of the loop were my favorite parts of the Crystal Forest Trail, and the best places that I found to photograph some of the giant logs!
Crystal Forest Loop Junction
This is where the Crystal Forest Loop returns back to the beginning.
Here, go right to return to the Crystal Forest Trailhead.
