Petrified Forest National Park by EV: An EV Road Trip Through the Painted Desert & Route 66 History
Exploring Petrified Forest National Park by EV
Straddling both sides of Interstate 40 in northeastern Arizona, Petrified Forest National Park is one of the most surprising national parks in the country.
Here, you’ll find trees older than the dinosaurs, a beautifully restored inn from the era of rail travel, petroglyphs that prove vandalism isn’t a modern invention, and even a broken-down Studebaker abandoned along historic Route 66.
All of this history is tucked among colorful desert hills, rainbow-striped badlands, and open views that feel like stepping into a time capsule.
Whether you’re stopping for a short drive or spending a full afternoon wandering trails and overlooks, the park offers an experience you won’t find anywhere else in the National Park System.
Arrive from the east and you’ll start in the Painted Desert; come from the west and you’ll immediately enter the world of petrified wood.
Either way, it’s an unforgettable addition to any electric Route 66 road trip.
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The Park’s History
Preservation, Fossils, and the CCC
By the late 1800s, the vivid, mineralized logs scattered across the region were being taken in alarming quantities.
Worried that the resource would disappear, Arizona Territory leaders petitioned the federal government to protect the landscape.
In 1906, President Theodore Roosevelt designated Petrified Forest as a National Monument, making it one of the earliest protected fossil sites in the country.
It was officially upgraded to National Park status in 1962.
From 1934 to 1941, the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) built much of the infrastructure still used today: roads, trails, overlooks, and the iconic Painted Desert Inn and Rainbow Forest Museum.
Their craftsmanship remains a highlight for visitors.
Amp’d Advice: Don’t collect anything but memories; removing petrified wood can earn you a ranger fine big enough to drain your travel budget faster than a cold morning drains your EV battery.
Driving the Painted Desert
Overlooks, History & Route 66
We arrived from Holbrook, driving about 26 miles east on Interstate 40 to Exit 311, where the Painted Desert Visitor Center greets you with restrooms, exhibits, and the all-important souvenir magnet stop.
After flashing our annual park pass at the entrance, we rolled into the first of several Painted Desert overlooks.
Desert View at Nizhoni Point, Petrified Forest National Park
Don’t skip the pullouts. They may seem close together, but each one highlights a slightly different angle, color banding, or lighting on the jagged badland formations.
Desert View Along the Painted Desert Rim Trail, Petrified Forest National Park
A stop at the Painted Desert Inn offers modern restrooms, friendly park rangers, a small gift shop, and museum rooms restored to show what the Fred Harvey Company run inn looked like when travelers arrived via the Santa Fe Railway.
The building is a National Historic Landmark and a great air-conditioned pause on warm days.
Painted Desert Inn, Petrified Forest National Park
Before the interstate existed, Petrified Forest National Park was the only national park where Route 66 passed directly through.
Today, a rusted 1932 Studebaker marks the historic alignment.
It’s equal parts charming and haunting — I couldn’t help but wonder whether the family who once drove it ever finished their journey or began a new life right here in Arizona.
1932 Studebaker Abandoned Along the Old Highway 66, Petrified Forest National Park
Amp’d Advice: Keep your boots on the trail and your bottle full; water only flows at the ranger stations, and the desert shows no mercy to the unprepared.
Into the Petrified Forest
Ancient Wood, Petroglyphs & Trails
Crossing over I‑40 and heading south, the landscape transforms quickly.
Petrified logs begin appearing scattered across the desert floor — first a few, then dozens, then entire fields of rainbow-colored fossilized wood.
Petrified Logs Next to the Crystal Forest Trail, Petrified Forest National Park
A short walk at Puerco Pueblo leads you through the remains of an ancestral village built by the ancestral Puebloan people around 1250 CE.
The site also features petroglyphs carved into dark basalt boulders.
Petroglyphs Near Puerco Pueblo, Petrified Forest National Park
Nearby, Newspaper Rock showcases hundreds of these ancient carvings clustered on a cliff face.
It’s a powerful reminder that humans have always recorded stories, long before cameras or smartphones.
Petroglyphs at Newspaper Rock, Petrified Forest National Park
Continue south to Agate Bridge, where a 110‑foot petrified log lies suspended across a gully. While visitors can no longer walk on it (for good reason!), it’s a great photo stop.
110 Foot Long Agate Bridge in Petrified Forest National Park
Toward the south entrance, two excellent trails wind through some of the highest concentrations of petrified wood in the entire park:
Giant Logs Trail (0.4 miles): Short, paved, and perfect for admiring massive logs.
Long Logs & Agate House Loop (2.6 miles): A longer, scenic hike featuring huge logs and a reconstructed pueblo built of petrified wood.
Before leaving, stop at the Rainbow Forest Museum for fossils, paleontology exhibits, and a deeper look at how these trees transformed into solid quartz over millions of years.
Hard to believe all of this is packed into just 26 miles of driving.
How to Charge Your EV Near Petrified Forest
Charging around Petrified Forest is easy and fits naturally into a Route 66 or US‑180 road trip.
From the east (Gallup):
Use the Electrify America station in Gallup, NM. From there, it’s only about 70 miles to the park’s north entrance at Exit 311.
From the west (Holbrook):
Charge at the Rivian Adventure Network station in Holbrook, then enjoy the beautiful 21-mile drive along US‑180 to the southern entrance.
Both routes offer convenient distances for any modern EV, with plenty of buffer for park exploring.
The Tepees in Petrified Forest National Park
Every EV trip starts with PlugShare to research destinations and charging options
Our mantra is simple: we design our route - because adventure shouldn’t be outsourced to a GPS.
Once we pick a destination, I dive into PlugShare for charger intel while Cheryl brings the magic by charting each stop on our paper atlas, giving us a colorful, big‑picture snapshot of the journey.
That blend of EV tech and old‑school wanderlust keeps our planning smooth, colorful, and unmistakably SightSee EV. Check out the full article to see how this combo keeps our road trips smooth and fun!
Birds Eye Review: An Easy and Memorable EV Adventure
Exploring Petrified Forest National Park in an EV feels like the perfect blend of past and future.
You glide quietly through landscapes shaped over 200 million years while traveling on the same route used by early motorists, Dust Bowl migrants, and the Santa Fe Railway.
Few places let you experience so many layers of history in such a short, easy drive.
Cross Section of a Petrified Log at the Crystal Forest Trailhead
What makes this park special isn’t just the colorful badlands or the rainbow‑striped petrified wood (though those are incredible). It’s how naturally the journey unfolds.
You can step out and wander past ancient petroglyphs, marvel at the craftsmanship of the CCC, stand beside a fossilized log older than the concept of mammals, and then hop right back into a modern EV — no fuss, no range concerns, no rushing through the moments.
For EV travelers, the park is almost tailor‑made with short distances, well‑spaced stops, and plenty of chances to stretch your legs while soaking in views that look painted by hand.
Whether you're chasing the nostalgia of Route 66, searching for wide‑open spaces, or simply looking for a peaceful drive between charging stops, the Petrified Forest delivers.
An avid runner, John’s fascination with electric vehicles began the day he left a 1970s Citicar in the dust.
Since then, he’s worked to educate readers that EVs are simply cars powered by an alternative energy source.
His favorite way to experience it? Road-tripping along the Great American Electric Highway, where the miles turn into opportunities to visit family, reconnect with friends, and soak in the country’s scenic beauty.
When John isn’t writing about EV adventures, running in new places, or exploring new destinations, you’ll probably find him catching a well-earned nap before the next journey begins.
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