painted desert and hiking

Question

Family & I will be traveling from Flagstaff to santa Fe and am interested in painted desert. from what i am gathering the painted desert (is it called painted desert badlands?) and petrified forest seem to be the same park. I actually am most interested in the hiking trails I see (i believe these are in desert) - like the rim trail and the one to blue mesa. I am NOT really wanting to go off I40 south to drive the 1/2 hr thru petrified forest north...to finally arrive at desired destination of the desert trails...how to I both drive & get to the desert entrance without going thru forest drive? and how do i gain entrance into the desert trails (ie. is there a fee to hike trails? do i have to go to forest entrance to gain admittance or can i get "ticket" at the more direct Northern area of desert?).....thank you

Answer

Yes, the Painted Desert and the Petrified Forest are part of the same national park – Petrified Forest National Park. The Painted Desert portion is the northern part of the park and features the colorful badlands and many of the rim trails and hiking opportunities you are interested in.

Regarding access without driving through the main park’s southern forest drive:

The northern entrance of the park, located near the town of Navajo, AZ, gives more direct access to the Painted Desert trails, including the Rim Trail and the Blue Mesa Trail.
You do not need to drive south on I-40 to reach these hiking areas; instead, take US-89 or the local roads to the northern park entrance.
The northern area has its own visitor center, the Painted Desert Visitor Center, where you can obtain maps, information, and pay the park entrance fee.

Entrance and hiking details:

Yes, there is a standard national park entrance fee. You can pay at the Painted Desert Visitor Center at the northern entrance, or purchase an America the Beautiful pass if you have one.
Once you have paid the fee, the trails in the northern area, including the Rim Trail and Blue Mesa Trail, are open for hiking – no additional permits are required for these established trails.
Trailheads are clearly marked, and parking is available near the trail starts in the northern section.

In summary, to visit the Painted Desert trails efficiently without going through the southern park drive, plan your route to the northern entrance via US-89, pay the entrance fee at the Painted Desert Visitor Center, and you can access the Rim Trail, Blue Mesa Trail, and other northern hiking areas directly.

painted desert and hiking

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