Geography

The Petrified Forest National Park is located in the Painted Desert, a beautiful place known for its warm hues of sedimentary rock. The terrain consists of small hills, huge petrified wood deposits and eroded badlands in the north. Small streams are located in the park. A few drain into the Puerco River, such as Lithodendron Wash, Dead Wash, Ninemile Wash, and Dry Wash. The Cottonwood Wash and Jim Camp Wash flow into the Little Colorado River. The park’s elevation ranges from a low point of 5,340 feet above sea level along the Puerco River to a high of 6,230 feet above sea level at Pilot Rock. The average elevation is around 5,400 feet above sea level.