Arizona · Hiking

Blue Mesa Trail

Blue Mesa TrailPhoto: dconvertini, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)
Loop
route
Mar–May, Sep–Oct
best months

Is Blue Mesa Trail open right now?

Closure in the area

There's a closure order in Petrified Forest National Park. It doesn't name Blue Mesa Trail, so check the source for the area it covers.

  • Painted Desert Visitor Center Closed for Construction

    Park closure covering Petrified Forest National Park · NPS · Petrified Forest National Park

As of · Source: NPS · Petrified Forest National Park. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.

Blue Mesa Trail is a 1-mile loop in Petrified Forest National Park in northeastern Arizona, managed by the National Park Service. The trailhead sits at the Blue Mesa sun shelter, and the route descends from the mesa, alternating between paved and gravel sections. It passes through badland hills of bluish bentonite clay and among petrified wood, with sedimentary layers that have yielded numerous plant and animal fossils. Spring and fall are the most comfortable times to visit. Typical averages from a nearby weather station show April highs around 68°F and October highs around 70°F, while July averages about 92°F and January highs sit near 48°F. A fee is charged for the visit. The trail is a short loop, so plan on about an hour on foot. The closest neighbor is the Historic Blue Forest Trail, about 0.3 miles away. The Tepees North and South pullouts are each about 1.2 miles off, and Puerco Pueblo lies roughly 3.3 miles away.

Local outfitters

Not on Roamze yet. Their page has how to reach them.

  • Best time to go · Mar–May, Sep–Oct

    Best time to visit Blue Mesa Trail

    Best months: March–May and September–October. Best months have typical highs of 55–85 °F, lows of 30 °F or warmer (32 °F where the station doesn't record snow), at most one snowy day and no more than 12 wet days.

    1. Jan

      48° / 22°

      4 wet

    2. Feb

      52° / 25°

      4 wet

    3. Mar

      61° / 30°

      4 wet

    4. Apr

      68° / 35°

      3 wet

    5. May

      78° / 44°

      3 wet

    6. Jun

      89° / 53°

      3 wet

    7. Jul

      92° / 60°

      7 wet

    8. Aug

      88° / 58°

      9 wet

    9. Sep

      82° / 51°

      6 wet

    10. Oct

      70° / 40°

      5 wet

    11. Nov

      58° / 28°

      4 wet

    12. Dec

      46° / 22°

      5 wet

    Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Painted Desert Np, AZ, 8.8 mi away at 5,760 ft. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.

Keep exploring — more trails worth the drive

Historic Blue Forest TrailPhoto: Navin75, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)

Historic Blue Forest Trail

Next door

2.56-mile out-and-back trail in Arizona with 332 ft elevation gain.

HIKE

The Tepees North Pullout

~2 min drive

The Tepees is a area of the park named for the conical hills with banded mudstones that were thought to resemble tepees—or tipis as some people spell it. Tipis are not part of the culture in this region, but some Navajos have pointed out one of the hills that resembles a male…

Jasper Forest TrailPhoto: Alexander Hatley, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

Jasper Forest Trail

~8 min drive

2.04-mile out-and-back trail in Arizona with 137 ft elevation gain.

The Tepees South PulloutPhoto: Fredlyfish4, CC BY-SA 4.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

The Tepees South Pullout

~2 min drive

The Tepees is a area of the park named for the conical hills with banded mudstones that were thought to resemble tepees—or tipis as some people spell it. Tipis are not part of the culture in this region, but some Navajos have pointed out one of the hills that resembles a male…

Crystal Forest TrailPhoto: Šarūnas Burdulis from USA, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Crystal Forest Trail

~10 min drive

Easy 0.82-mile out-and-back forest walk in Arizona.

Puerco PuebloPhoto: dconvertini, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)

Puerco Pueblo

~6 min drive

Puerco Pueblo is located at mile marker 11 (11 miles from the north entrance of Petrified Forest National Park), the only ancestral Puebloan village that is easily accessible to the public. The 1/3 of a mile loop trail meanders through the ancient site, complete with exhibits…

Tawa TrailPhoto: Navin75, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)

Tawa Trail

~15 min drive

2.08-mile out-and-back hike in Arizona with 140 ft elevation gain

HIKE

Agate Bridge

~7 min drive

Agate Bridge, original called Natural Bridge, is a partially exposed petrified log spanning a gully at Agate Mesa, forming a “bridge”. This landmark has long been one of the most popular attractions in Petrified Forest since the beginning and in the early history of the park m…

Giant Logs TrailPhoto: Alexander Hatley, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

Giant Logs Trail

~18 min drive

Easy out-and-back walk through petrified wood in Arizona.

Crystal Forest TrailPhoto: Alexander Hatley, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

Crystal Forest Trail

~10 min drive

Length: 0.75 mile (1.2 km) loopTrailhead: Crystal Forest parking areaNamed for the presence of beautiful crystals that can be found in the petrified logs, this trail offers one of the best opportunities to experience the petrified wood deposits. Please leave the petrified wood…