Petrified Forest Loop

Make sure you swing by the Visitor's Center to get a map and a paper copy of directions to the trailhead as it goes through private property.

The trail starts at the parking lot and heads into a wilderness area. After a few hundred feet you will pass through a gate. Make sure to sign the booklet into the wilderness area.

After .5 mi and 100 feet of elevation gain, you will rise up to a plateau and see a fork in the trail. A right will take you to the South Petrified Forest and a left takes you to the North Petrified Forest. Take the trail left. After approximately .5 mi, the trail will dip down into a little valley and the North Petrified Forest starts on the far side of the valley. 

Once you've reached the North Petrified Forest, you can turn back the way you came for a roughly 3-mile round-trip hike or continue the Petrified Forest Loop (10+ mi), which will take you into the South Petrified Forest. 

You have a high chance of seeing bison and other wildlife on this trail, including rattlesnakes. Ensure to check the weather before this hike as the drive and trail are clay.