Hiking the Jasper Forest Trail in Petrified Forest National Park
Distance: 2.4 miles / 3.9 km
The Jasper Forest Trail, also referred to as the 'First Forest Trail,' is arguably the best day hike to see and experience the largest variety of petrified wood in Petrified Forest National Park!
With that in mind, in my separate article about the Crystal Forest Trail, I emphasize how the Crystal Forest is such a great day hike to see one of the largest collections of petrified wood found anywhere in the park.
However, the collection of petrified wood in the Crystal Forest pales in comparison to the collection within the Jasper Forest, but the difference is, the Jasper Forest Trail is not nearly as accessible.
I say this because the Jasper Forest Trail follows in the tracks of an old 1930s road called the Jasper Forest Road, from the overlook that exists today down the mesa to the Jasper Forest below.
Furthermore the Jasper Forest Trail, like the Billings Gap Overlook Trail, is not a maintained trail by the National Park Service, meaning that the area has succumbed to the lack of maintenance and erosion from decades of neglect.
In any case, the Old Jasper Forest Road can still be explored today, but it is by no means one of the easier hikes within the park. Therefore, I advise only those with good hiking skills and navigational awareness to attempt the full Jasper Forest Trail.
Jasper Forest Trailhead Parking
Parking for the Jasper Forest Trailhead is located in the same parking lot as the Jasper Forest Overlook, about 18.6 miles (29.9 km) south of the Painted Desert Visitor Center.
In my experience, most visitors who come to the lookout know little, if anything, about the historic road that is now a trail, meaning that you will most likely be the only group on the trail, regardless of how many cars are in the parking lot.
Google Maps Directions: Jasper 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 Jasper Forest Trail
From the Jasper Forest Overlook, the Jasper Forest Trail begins at the far east end of the parking lot at this unmarked trailhead.
Initially, the Jasper Forest Trail will descend the cliffs of the mesa down to the Jasper Forest below.
This is where the Jasper Forest Trail drops below the mesa, with the lookout on the left-hand side of this photo.
Jasper Forest
Once at the bottom, the Jasper Forest Trail winds its way to the north on a very vague and sometimes non-existent trail toward Eagle Nest Rock, about 0.9 miles (1.4 km) away.
The small signs of infrastructure, like the footsteps below, are a nice indication that you’re following the Old Jasper Road.
In addition, these footsteps really helped to cross this typically dry and muddy wash after a recent storm the day prior.
Again, areas just like the one in the photo below still show signs of the old Jasper Forest Road, but I have to imagine that evidence like this will only be harder and harder to come by as the years go on.
When there’s only about 0.3 miles (0.5 km) left before Eagle Nest Rock, the Jasper Forest Trail begins to turn to the east, which is where the cliffs of the surrounding mesas will begin to close in.
To see this area on the map, click the link below to find Eagle Nest Rock.
Google Maps Directions: Eagle Nest Rock
On account of the soft-soil landscape being very muddy after it has rained, areas like this tend to be tricky to cross, which is exactly why there aren’t footprints in the dry wash.
In fact, I was likely the first hiker on the trail after a heavy thunderstorm swept through the park the day before.
Eagle Nest Rock
This is the final loop at the very end of the Jasper Forest Trail, and it simply circles around the base of the former, and once iconic, Eagle Nest Rock.
By this, I mean that Eagle Nest Rock was a popular destination in the early 20th century for travelers on Route 66, as it was featured in brochures, postcards, and auto tours.
However, Eagle Nest Rock fell in January of 1941 after the area experienced a period of heavy rain, leaving behind the butte that we see today, shown in the center of the photo below.
This is the completion of the loop around Eagle Nest Rock.
Overall, the Jasper Forest Trail is an incredibly beautiful and scenic day hike to experience an area of Petrified Forest that few visitors venture out to see.
In fact, I personally believe that the Jasper Forest is the most beautiful collection of petrified wood within the park, but as previously mentioned, the trail should only be attempted by those with good navigational skills, as there will only be vague signs along the hike that you’re actually on the correct trail.
I say this knowing full well that the photos you see throughout this article include some of the more distinct areas of the Jasper Forest Trail, but there are many areas that show no signs of a trail, especially after it has recently rained.
