El Morro National Monument
Very dark · Milky Way across the sky on clear nights
3 stays nearby →Petrified Forest National Park, a Dark Sky Park
Painted badlands and 225-million-year-old fossil logs in rural northeastern Arizona, where the only way to spend the night is on foot in the wilderness.
- How dark?
- Very dark · Milky Way across the sky on clear nights
- Entry
- $25 per vehicle, 7 days · park road closes at 5 pm
- Food & town
- Holbrook · about 25 mi
- Certified
- Dark Sky Park · 2018
How dark is it, really?
Dark enough to see the Milky Way stretch across the sky on a clear night, with only a faint glow from distant towns low on the horizon. (For the detail-minded: Bortle class 3, an estimate.)
When should I go?
Pick a night when the moon is down. The next stretch of moonless evenings is Nov 6–12.
| Best nights | Moonlight | Worth staying up for |
|---|---|---|
| Nov 6–12 | Thin crescent, sets early | A sky full of stars, and extra shooting stars (Leonids) |
| Dec 5–11 | Thin crescent, sets early | A sky full of stars, and extra shooting stars (Geminids) |
| Jan 3–9 | Thin crescent, rises late | A sky full of stars, and a meteor shower peak (Quadrantids) |
More dark windows, through Oct 2027
| Best nights | Moonlight | Worth staying up for |
|---|---|---|
| Feb 1–8 | Mostly none · thin crescent on the edge nights | A sky full of stars |
| Mar 3–9 | Thin crescent, rises late | The Milky Way core |
| Apr 1–7 | Thin crescent, rises late | The Milky Way core |
| May 2–7 | None · darkest skies | The Milky Way core, and a meteor shower peak (Eta Aquariids) |
| Jun 1–6 | Mostly none · thin crescent on the edge nights | The Milky Way core |
| Jul 1–6 | Thin crescent, sets early | The Milky Way core |
| Jul 30–Aug 5 | Thin crescent, rises late | The Milky Way core, and a meteor shower peak (Southern Delta Aquariids) |
| Aug 29–Sep 4 | Crescent, sets early | The Milky Way core |
| Sep 27–Oct 3 | Thin crescent, sets early | The Milky Way core |
Computed from public astronomical data for this location. Updated monthly. How it's computed
Milky Way season here: Early Feb to mid Oct. Out of season until mid Feb. In season now, through mid Oct.
Meteor showers ahead: Leonids on Nov 17–18 (half moon, sets around midnight), Geminids on Dec 13–14 (thin crescent, sets early), Ursids on Dec 22–23 (full moon, up all night), and Quadrantids on Jan 3–4 (thin crescent, rises late)Lyrids on Apr 22–23 (bright moon for most of the night)Eta Aquariids on May 5–6 (none · darkest skies)Southern Delta Aquariids on Jul 30–31 (thin crescent, rises late)Perseids on Aug 12–13 (bright moon for most of the night).
Email me before the next dark window at Petrified Forest National Park.
About one email a month, a few days before the moon goes dark: the dates here, the moonlight, and what's worth staying up for. Unsubscribe in one click.
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What it's like
Petrified Forest protects colorful, heavily eroded badlands and the fossilized trunks of trees that grew here about 225 million years ago. It lies in a rural part of northeastern Arizona, and roughly half of the park is designated wilderness, which is a large part of why its nights stay dark. The park has been fixing problem outdoor lighting and runs night programs about the value of the dark to wildlife.
Plan your night carefully, because the park road is open only from 8 am to 5 pm. There's no car, RV, or front-country camping, and you can't just pull into a parking area. The one way to stay after dark is to backpack into the Petrified Forest National Wilderness Area and camp at least half a mile from your car. The permit is free; pick it up in person at the Painted Desert Inn or the Rainbow Forest Museum on the day you go, before 4:30 pm. Groups are limited to eight.
The park sums up a night out there as colorful sunsets, an incredible night sky, and inspiring sunrises. Fires aren't allowed, so bring a stove. Leave every rock, fossil, and piece of petrified wood where you find it; collecting anything is illegal.
Getting in after dark
Park hours are 8 am to 5 pm (Mountain Standard Time all year). The only way to spend the night in the park is to backpack into the Petrified Forest National Wilderness Area, at least half a mile from your vehicle, with a free permit from a visitor center on the day, available until 4:30 pm.
Food, fuel, and supplies
North Entrance: Holbrook, AZ, about 25 mi away, with groceries (Safeway), 14 gas stations, and 20+ places to eat on the map. Nearest places to eat on the map: Painted Desert Diner, Subway, and Krispy Krunchy Chicken.
South Entrance: Holbrook, AZ, about 20 mi away, with groceries (Safeway), 14 gas stations, and 20+ places to eat on the map. Nearest places to eat on the map: Burger King, Swaad Stop, and Krispy Krunchy Chicken.
The wilderness averages 5,800 feet and swings from extreme heat to bitter cold, so pack for both and carry all your water, about a gallon per person per day in summer.
Distances are straight-line and approximate. Places on the map may not be open. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.
✓ Certification verified Jun 2026 against DarkSky International registry (Internet Archive capture) · entry fee from National Park Service (Sep 2026) · after-dark access from National Park Service (Sep 2026) · night permits from National Park Service (Sep 2026) · darkness: Bortle 3, estimated (Sep 2026) · nearest town from OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL) (Sep 2026)
Dark sky places near Petrified Forest National Park
For a trip with more than one dark night: the closest within 150 miles, nearest first. Distances are straight-line, not driving.
Dark Sky Park Dark Sky Park Flagstaff Area National Monuments
Dark · Milky Way overhead, hazy lower down
3 stays nearby →Dark Sky Community Flagstaff, Arizona
Some light pollution · Constellations, not much Milky Way
3 stays nearby →Dark Sky Community Big Park / Village of Oak Creek, Arizona
Dark · Milky Way overhead, hazy lower down
3 stays nearby →