- Best time to visit Petrified Forest: March, April, October and November. The weather is at its most comfortable then, and crowds are lighter than at the peak.
- Busiest month: May, with about 61,086 visits in a typical recent year. That is 2.8 times as many as January.
- Quietest month: January (22,019 visits).
Bar height: visitors that month, compared with the busiest month. Temperatures: average daily high and low (°F); rain and snow: monthly averages. Best marks the months we suggest.
Month by month
| Month | Crowds | Visits (typical) | High / low (°F) | Precipitation | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Quiet | 22,019 | 50° / 21° | 0.6 in | 1 in |
| February | Quiet | 23,207 | 56° / 24° | 0.6 in | 1 in |
| March ★ | Busiest | 49,971 | 64° / 30° | 0.7 in | 1 in |
| April ★ | Busy | 47,311 | 72° / 36° | 0.4 in | 0 in |
| May | Busiest | 61,086 | 81° / 44° | 0.4 in | 0 in |
| June | Busiest | 60,471 | 91° / 53° | 0.2 in | 0 in |
| July | Busiest | 50,633 | 93° / 60° | 1.7 in | 0 in |
| August | Busy | 40,215 | 90° / 59° | 1.6 in | 0 in |
| September | Busy | 37,841 | 85° / 52° | 1.0 in | 0 in |
| October ★ | Busiest | 54,419 | 74° / 39° | 0.9 in | 0 in |
| November ★ | Moderate | 30,027 | 61° / 28° | 0.7 in | 0 in |
| December | Moderate | 30,756 | 50° / 21° | 0.8 in | 1 in |
Weather figures are NOAA 1991 to 2020 climate normals for the Petrified Forest NP station (5,446 feet above sea level), 2 miles from Rainbow Forest Museum. Visitor numbers are the median of 2022 to 2025 monthly recreation visits from the National Park Service.
By season
- Spring (March to May): 31% of the year’s visits; average highs 64° to 81°F.
- Summer (June to August): 30% of the year’s visits; average highs 90° to 93°F.
- Fall (September to November): 24% of the year’s visits; average highs 61° to 85°F.
- Winter (December to February): 15% of the year’s visits; average highs 50° to 56°F.
Weekends and holidays
Even in a quiet month, holiday weekends fill parking lots and campgrounds. The 2027 federal holidays to plan around:
- Martin Luther King Jr. Day: Monday, January 18
- Presidents Day: Monday, February 15
- Memorial Day: Monday, May 31
- Juneteenth: Saturday, June 19
- Independence Day: Sunday, July 4 (observed Monday, July 5)
- Labor Day: Monday, September 6
- Columbus Day and Indigenous Peoples Day: Monday, October 11
- Veterans Day: Thursday, November 11
- Thanksgiving: Thursday, November 25
Entrance is free for U.S. residents on the park service’s fee-free days. The last one in 2026 is Veterans Day, November 11; the 2027 dates had not been announced when we checked. Free days are often busier. See the crowd calendar for all 64 parks.
Weather, in the park service’s words
Petrified Forest National Park is a semi-arid grassland. Temperatures range from above 100° F (38° C) to well below freezing. About 10 inches (25.4 cm) of moisture comes during infrequent snow in the winter and often dramatic summer thunder-storms. Animals and plants are adapted to extremes in temperature and moisture. You should be ready too. Check out the forecast before you arrive and plan accordingly.
From the National Park Service (public domain).
Today at Petrified Forest
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Alerts: National Park Service, checked hourly. Forecast: National Weather Service, for Painted Desert Visitor Center. Always confirm on the official park site before you set out.
Sources
- National Park Service visitor use statistics (IRMA): monthly recreation visits, 2022 to 2025
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991 to 2020 (monthly)
- National Park Service Data API: weather overview (public domain)
Last checked 1 November 2026.