Petrified Forest National Park trails, wilderness areas to reopen Friday

May 28, 2020, 7:32 AM | Updated: 8:10 am

(Flickr Photo/Martin LaBar)

PHOENIX – Hiking enthusiasts, strap on your boots.

On Friday, Petrified Forest National Park will be re-opening park roads, trails and wilderness areas.

It will be a phased reopening with several facilities not fully open and no wilderness camping permits, according to a National Park Service press release on Wednesday.

“The staff at Petrified Forest are eager to welcome visitors back into their national park. Since the park’s closure we have been working on making improvements to visitor centers and gift shops to ensure visitors will have a safe and meaningful experience when they visit,” park Petrified Forest Superintendent Jeannine McElveen said in a statement.

The following facilities are scheduled to open in phases: Painted Desert Visitor Center, Painted Desert Inn National Historic Landmark, Rainbow Forest Museum, Painted Desert Diner and Gift Shop and Rainbow Forest Lodge.

The entrance fee for vehicles is $25, $20 for motorcycles and $15 for a biker or walker.

Only credit cards or America the Beautiful Passes are accepted.

There is some construction on the park road that could delay travel for up to 15 minutes.

Three bridges and sections of the road are being repaired and replaced as part of a $9.5 million project. Currently in the second phase, construction is expected to be finished in late June.

Guests are asked to follow local heath orders and socially distance while walking and hiking to help prevent the spread of the coronavirus.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released guidelines to help mitigate the risk.

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