Camping near Petrified Forest, AZ, takes a little planning, because the national park itself has no campground. You can sleep inside the park only if you backpack in with a free permit.
Everyone else camps just outside the gates. That might be a free gift shop lot at the south entrance or an RV park in Holbrook. A state park campground about an hour away works too.
We live here, so we’ve covered every option below. You’ll see what each one costs, how far it sits from the park and who it suits.
Can You Camp in Petrified Forest National Park?
Camping inside Petrified Forest National Park is allowed only on foot. There’s no campground, no RV sites and no car camping, and you can’t sleep in a parking area either.
The gates open at 8 a.m. and close at 5 p.m. all year, so every car has to be out by closing. The park also closes on Thanksgiving and Christmas.
Backpacking Into the Wilderness
If you want to wake up inside the park, you’ll need to hike into the Petrified Forest National Wilderness Area. The Park Service’s backpacking page lays out the rules.
The permit is free. However, you have to pick it up in person at the park on the day you go.
Permits stop at 4:30 p.m., and each vehicle needs its own.
Then you walk at least half a mile from your car before you set up. Groups are capped at eight people.
The gates close at 5 p.m., but the backcountry stays open to anyone willing to carry a tent half a mile.
There’s no water out there, so carry all of it. The park suggests a gallon per person per day in summer.
Wood and charcoal fires aren’t allowed, so bring a camp stove. Also plan to pack out your trash and bury human waste.
Dogs can come along on a leash six feet or shorter. Bikes, on the other hand, stay in the parking lot.
What Is the 200 Rule for Camping?
It’s a Leave No Trace guideline. According to Leave No Trace, you should camp at least 200 feet from lakes and streams. That’s about 70 to 80 adult steps.
There aren’t many lakes in the Painted Desert. Still, the same idea applies to dry washes, because a summer storm can send water through them fast.
So pick higher ground, and leave every rock and piece of wood where you found it.
Free Camping Near Petrified Forest
Two gift shops sit right outside the south entrance on Petrified Forest Road, about half a mile from the gate. Both let self-contained RVs and vans stay the night for free.
Crystal Forest Gift Shop, at 6493 Petrified Forest Road, offers free dry camping with a few picnic tables. Tents aren’t allowed, and campers report no water, no dump station and no restrooms once the shop closes.
Across the road, the Petrified Forest Gift Shop has a free side with no hookups. It also has 30 amp sites that recent campers say run about $25 a night.
One reviewer advised checking in before 6 p.m., since the electric boxes stay locked.
Neither spot takes reservations. That’s why spring and fall evenings can fill up, so have a backup plan.
It’s also good manners to buy something from the shop that’s hosting you. Plenty of campers pick up a piece of legal petrified wood on the way out. Our guide to Arizona petrified wood explains what to look for.
Is Boondocking Allowed in Arizona?
Yes, on a lot of public land. However, the land around Holbrook is mostly private ranches, State Trust land and tribal land, so you can’t just pull off anywhere.
Arizona State Trust land needs a recreational permit, which the Arizona State Land Department sells online.
The permit costs $15 a year for one person or $20 for a family. Camping on trust land is limited to 14 nights a year.
North of town, much of the land belongs to the Navajo Nation, where you need the tribe’s permission first. Private land always needs the owner’s okay, even when it looks empty.
If you want true dispersed camping in the trees, the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest is about an hour and a half south.
RV Parks and Campgrounds in Holbrook
For camping near Petrified Forest with hookups and hot showers, Holbrook is the closest town. It sits 19 miles from the south entrance on US 180, and the north entrance is about 25 miles east on I-40.
Staying in town puts you between both entrances. It also puts groceries, gas, laundry and dinner a few minutes away. That matters, since the park has no services after 5 p.m.
Holbrook / Petrified Forest KOA Journey
The KOA at 102 Hermosa Drive is the most complete campground in the area. It has RV sites with 50 amp service, pull-throughs, tent sites and cabins.
There’s a pool from about mid-May through late September. In season, the camp also serves a daily pancake breakfast and a cowboy cookout.
It’s open all year. One camper reported paying $80 a night for an RV site in August 2026, so check KOA’s rates for your dates.
From the KOA, it’s about 25 minutes to the Painted Desert Visitor Center and 29 minutes to the south entrance.
OK RV Park
OK RV Park, at 1576 Roadrunner Road, has about 80 sites with full hookups, and tents are welcome too. You’ll also find showers, laundry, a dog area and Wi-Fi.
The lot is flat gravel with almost no shade. Recent reviewers liked the friendly staff and mentioned the train noise, which you’ll hear almost anywhere in Holbrook.
The last reported rate was $65 a night. It’s about 28 minutes to the south entrance.
Here’s a recent video tour of OK RV Park from RV travelers who used it as their base for the park.
Gateway to the Petrified Forest RV Resort
This RV park sits at 7551 Ramada Road in Sun Valley, east of town. It’s the closest of the three to the north entrance, at about 18 miles or 19 minutes.
The park offers senior and military discounts. Check-in starts at 2 p.m., and the office keeps hours from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.
State Park and Forest Campgrounds
If you’d rather go camping somewhere quieter, two state park campgrounds sit within an easy drive of Petrified Forest.
Homolovi State Park Near Winslow
Homolovi has more than 50 sites for tents and RVs, with hookups or more primitive spots. You’ll also find restrooms, showers and a dump station.
The park also protects ancestral Hopi pueblo sites you can walk to.
It’s about 58 miles, or just under an hour, from the Painted Desert Visitor Center. Book through Arizona State Parks, since the park no longer takes self-pay registrations.
Fool Hollow Lake in Show Low
Fool Hollow trades the desert for pine trees and a lake. That makes it the best summer pick, when the desert gets hot.
It’s about 67 miles, or an hour and 20 minutes, to the south entrance. So plan on a full day trip.
Planning a Camping Trip to Petrified Forest
A few questions come up with almost everyone camping near Petrified Forest, so here are the quick answers.
How Many Days Do You Need?
Most people see the highlights in one full day. Even so, two nights nearby lets you drive the park road at an easy pace and still catch the Route 66 side of Holbrook.
Our Petrified Forest guide walks through every stop and trail, so you can plan the day around the 5 p.m. closing.
Can You Just Drive Through?
Yes. The park road runs 28 miles between I-40 at exit 311 and US 180 at the south entrance. So you can enter at one end and leave at the other.
A private vehicle costs $25 and the pass is good for seven days. That’s handy if you camp nearby and come back the next morning.
Are the Painted Desert and Petrified Forest the Same?
They’re the same park. The Painted Desert is the northern part, near the north entrance, while most of the big logs sit in the south.
The two ends are about 28 miles apart on the park road. One entrance fee covers both.
When Is the Best Time to Camp?
Spring and fall are the most comfortable. In spring, though, the afternoon wind can be fierce, so stake your tent well.
Summer days are hot, and July and August bring afternoon thunderstorms. Winter nights drop well below freezing, so bring a warm bag.
Are There Snakes in Petrified Forest?
Yes, rattlesnakes live here, but most visitors never see one. Watch where you step and where you put your hands, especially around rocks and logs.
At camp, shake out your boots in the morning. Also, keep dogs on a short leash in tall grass.
What to Pack
Bring more water than you think you need, along with sun protection and layers for cold mornings. Cell service is spotty inside the park, so download your maps before you leave town.
Finally, don’t take any petrified wood from the park. Rangers may ask at the exit, and keeping a receipt for anything you bought in town clears that up fast.
Not Into Camping?
That’s fine too. Holbrook has the Wigwam Motel, classic Route 66 motor courts and chain hotels near the interstate.
We compare them in our list of the best places to stay in Holbrook.
So Where Should You Camp?
The best camping near Petrified Forest depends on what you’re sleeping in.
If you have a tent and a sense of adventure, get the free permit and sleep in the wilderness. If you have a self-contained rig and want to be first through the south gate, the gift shop lots are hard to beat.
For hookups, showers and a pool, camp in Holbrook. Then tell us your dates, and our free trip planner will build the rest of your stay around the park.
