Petrified Forest Loop Trail
What to Expect
Safety Advisory
Bentonite clay becomes impossibly slick when wet — even light rain turns the trail into a skating rink, and the stuff cakes onto boots adding pounds of weight. Check the forecast obsessively and bail if rain is likely.
There is zero shade for virtually the entire loop. Summer afternoon temperatures regularly push past 100 degrees with no tree cover and no water sources — heat exhaustion is a real risk. Start at dawn or skip July and August entirely.
Rattlesnakes are active from May through September and favor the rocky areas near petrified wood deposits. Watch where you step and where you sit for breaks.
Trail Details
Pro Tips
Carry a GPS device or download offline maps — the trail is lightly marked with posts that can be hard to spot in the tall grass, and several junctions are easy to miss when the bentonite all looks identical.
Stash extra water at the trailhead in a cooler for your return — there are no reliable water sources on the loop, and twelve miles of exposed badlands in summer will burn through three liters faster than you'd expect.
Start counterclockwise to hit the petrified forest concentration in the western section while your energy is still high and the morning light rakes across the logs at low angles — photographers will thank themselves.
