Petrified Forest National Park Camping: Camping Near

Why would a national park known for 225-million-year-old fossilized trees not have a single developed campground inside its boundaries? That's the first thing anyone researching camping near the petrified forest needs to understand. Petrified Forest National Park has never operated front-country campgrounds. The park was established primarily as a preserve for its paleontological resources, and the infrastructure was designed around day-use visitation. The result: you either secure a backcountry permit or look to the surrounding communities.

Here is what that actually looks like on the ground.

The Booking Reality

No reservations to fight over. No recreation.gov countdown. The park's backcountry camping requires a free permit issued at the Painted Desert Visitor Center (currently operating out of the Painted Desert Inn, two miles past the north entrance station, as of 2026). Permits are issued same-day only, first-come, first-served, between 8 AM and 5 PM. There is no online system, no advance booking window, and no phone-in option. You walk up, talk to a ranger, and get your permit.

For the 2026 season, the park limits backcountry camping to six parties per night. In practice, that means permits rarely sell out midweek outside of spring break and October. Weekend permits during March-April and September-October do go fast, and showing up after noon on a Friday in those months means a good chance the permits are already issued.

For anyone looking at private campgrounds near the park, the booking reality is the opposite extreme. The two nearest commercial campgrounds in Holbrook, about 19 miles south of the south entrance, take reservations through standard channels and rarely fill completely outside major holiday weekends. You can book a week ahead and be fine from May through August.

Camping Options

Backcountry Camping (Inside the Park)

The park allows backcountry camping in designated areas only. Permits are issued at the Painted Desert Inn visitor center. The ranger will provide a map showing the three allowable zones and will ask about your route, water carry, and experience level with semi-arid conditions.

• No water is available in the backcountry. You carry everything you need for the duration of your trip, typically 1-2 nights. The park recommends a minimum of one gallon per person per day.
• No fires. The backcountry is a semi-arid grassland with extremely flashy fuels. Camp stoves are permitted.
• No established campsites. You select a spot within the designated zone that meets the 1-mile-from-any-road and 200-feet-from-any-trail requirements.
• Pack out all waste. Wag bags are required for human waste. You can pick them up at the visitor center when you get your permit.
• The terrain is open grassland with scattered petrified wood, juniper, and eroding badlands. You will not find tree cover, shade structures, or windbreaks. Expect full exposure.

The park's elevation sits around 5,400 to 5,800 feet. Temperatures in the backcountry can swing 40 degrees between day and night, even in spring and fall. July daytime highs regularly exceed 100°F. January overnight lows drop well below freezing.

Experienced backpackers who have done desert or high-plains trips will find the conditions straightforward. First-time backcountry campers are advised to start with a single night and a very short carry-in distance. The rangers will tell you straight up: this is not a beginner-friendly backcountry experience if you are not prepared for the water carry and exposure.

Camping Near the Park (Holbrook Area)

Most visitors looking for camping near the petrified forest end up in Holbrook, Arizona, the nearest town with private camping facilities. As of 2026, two primary options operate on the stretch of Highway 180 between Holbrook and the park's south entrance:

Located about 17 miles from the south entrance station. Full hookups for RVs, tent sites, restrooms with showers, laundry, and a small store. Rates in 2026 run approximately $35-45 per night for tent sites and $45-60 for full-hookup RV sites. Open year-round.

Closer to Holbrook proper, approximately 19 miles from the south entrance. Mix of pull-through RV sites and tent camping. Showers and restrooms, basic provisions, and a dump station. Rates similar to the Holbrook RV Park. Open year-round.

Both facilities are basic commercial campgrounds - clean, functional, nothing scenic. They serve as sleep-and-go bases for park visitors. The sites are gravel pads with picnic tables and fire rings. Neither property offers any particular atmosphere, but both are within a 25-minute drive of the south entrance.

For those looking to avoid commercial campgrounds entirely, dispersed camping is available in the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forests approximately 30-40 miles south of the park. The closest National Forest dispersed camping areas are near Vernon and Show Low. Check the Apache-Sitgreaves official website for current fire restrictions and road conditions before heading out. As of 2026, the area remains open for dispersed camping with a 14-day stay limit.

What About RV Camping at the Park Itself?

No RV camping inside Petrified Forest National Park. No hookups, no dump station, no overnight parking in any parking lot. The park gates close at 5 PM and reopen at 8 AM. Overnight parking is not permitted in any lot or pullout along the park road. The only exception is backcountry campers with a valid permit.

If you are driving an RV, your options are the private campgrounds in Holbrook or one of the casino RV parks operated by the Navajo Nation near I-40. The nearest is the Fort Courage RV Park at the intersection of I-40 and Highway 77, about 25 miles east of the park's north entrance. Full hookups, 24-hour security, and a restaurant on site.

Reservation Strategy

There is no online reservation system for camping at Petrified Forest National Park. Here is how each option works:

What to Know Before You Arrive

Practical Takeaways

1. There are zero developed campgrounds inside Petrified Forest National Park. If you want to stay inside the park boundaries, backcountry camping is your only option, and it requires a free same-day permit issued at the Painted Desert Inn visitor center between 8 AM and 5 PM.

1. Backcountry permits are limited to six parties per night. Weekend permits in spring and fall go first. Arrive by 8:30 AM during those windows.

1. The two private campgrounds in Holbrook (Holbrook RV Park and OK RV Park) are the closest developed camping facilities, located 17-19 miles from the south entrance. Rates run $35-60 per night depending on site type and season.

1. No water is available in the backcountry. Carry one gallon per person per day minimum. Fill up at the visitor center or Painted Desert Oasis before you head out.

1. Fires are permanently prohibited in the park. Camp stoves only. If you are camping in the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forests, check fire restrictions before you go.

1. Cell service drops out at the park entrances and does not exist in the backcountry. Download everything before you arrive.

1. The park gates operate 8 AM to 5 PM MST. Arizona does not observe daylight saving. Arriving late means sleeping outside the park until morning.

1. The park is closed Thanksgiving and Christmas Day. Plan around those dates.

1. For hotels near the petrified forest national park, Holbrook has multiple chain options. The Painted Desert Oasis also has basic provisions and gas at the north entrance.

1. If you are wondering what is a petrified forest before you go, the visitor center has an excellent 15-minute orientation film and museum exhibits that explain the fossilization process. Worth watching before you head out to see the real thing on the trail.

For a complete visitor guide including day-use itineraries and the best viewpoints, check the hub page. For specific recommendations on which routes to hike, the hiking trails page breaks down each trail by difficulty, distance, and what you actually see. If the thought of sleeping on the ground is losing its appeal, the lodging and accommodations page covers the full range of hotels in Holbrook and the surrounding area.

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