Hiking the Puerco Pueblo Trail in Petrified Forest National Park
Distance: 0.3 miles / 0.5 km
The Puerco Pueblo Trail is the go-to place in Petrified Forest National Park to learn about and see up close what life used to be like for the ancestral Puebloan people many centuries ago.
The short 0.3-mile (0.5 km) trail not only features the pueblo itself, but a museum and petroglyphs that can be seen scattered along the far end of the Puerco Pueblo Loop.
All said, I encourage you to read more about the trail below, so that you know exactly where to look, as many of the petroglyphs can be hard to spot!
Puerco Pueblo Trailhead Parking
The Puerco Pueblo Trailhead is located just off Petrified Forest Road, about 10.8 miles (17.4 km) south of the Painted Desert Visitor Center.
That being said, the Puerco Pueblo Trail is one of the more popular day hikes in Petrified Forest because the trail is so short. However, since the lot is so big, finding a place to park is usually never an issue.
Google Maps Directions: Puerco Pueblo 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 Puerco Pueblo Trail
The Puerco Pueblo Trail follows an entirely paved trail to encourage visitors to stay on the paths, in order to protect this historically significant archaeological site.
Puerco Pueblo Loop Trail
Shortly after beginning the hike, the Puerco Pueblo Trail splits into a short loop around all of the best sites to see.
Personally, I chose to go right, but if you’re most interested in the pueblo itself, go left to take the shortest path there.
Puerco Pueblo Museum
This small museum at Puerco Pueblo is one of the best places to learn about life in the park prior to the National Park Service, and it’s the only place on the trail to find some shade away from the sun.
After the Puerco Pueblo exhibits, there are at least two distinct viewpoints to see the petroglyphs, but it must be said that these photos were taken with a 300mm lens, meaning that the petroglyphs will look much farther away when you see them in person.
Then, go right to the next viewpoint where you’ll have the opportunity to see some more petroglyphs, as shown below.
These petroglyphs at the next viewpoint were a little more obscure and harder to notice than the first, but look along the large boulders of the cliffs to the right of the viewpoint.
Puerco Pueblo
After the petroglyphs, the Puerco Pueblo Trail passes by Puerco Pueblo on the left-hand side of the loop.
According to the National Park Service, the Puerco Pueblo Village that can be seen here is only a fraction of the archaeological site, but I have to imagine that more sites aren’t accessible to the public for their own protection.
Puerco Pueblo Loop Junction
Finally, the Puerco Pueblo Loop Trail returns to the beginning, with the trailhead and parking area located just beyond.
