- Distance: 7 miles one-way. 14 miles round-trip.
- Approximate hiking time: 7 hours to 12 hours.
- Type of hike: Out and back.
- Difficulty: Challenging. No trail. Hot sun. No water or shade. Routefinding required.
- Best season: September through May. Summers are too hot.
- Water availability: None.
- Map: USGS Pilot Rock quadrangle.
Climbing Pilot Rock
Pilot Rock, the 6,234-foot (2,228-meters) high point of Petrified Forest National Park in Arizona, is not an easy peak to climb. It's reached by hiking seven miles cross country and then back again for a 14-mile round trip. There is no developed trail to the peak. Be skilled at route-finding to find your way to the summit and back.
Pilot Rock is Serious
Pilot Rock lies in the northwest corner of Petrified Forest National Park in the Painted Desert Unit of 50,260-acre Petrified Forest Wilderness Area. No permit is required to hike out to it and climb it. Carry adequate provisions and clothing. Carry at least a gallon of water per person in summer. Temperatures regularly climb into the nineties here and almost no shade is found on the hike. Wear a hat. Read Summer Rock Climbing - Avoid Heat Related Illnesses for five tips to stay cool and avoid dehydration and sunstroke. Plan to be back to your vehicle by the park's posted closing time. Allow eight to twelve hours to climb Pilot Rock, depending on the weather and your fitness and hiking speed.
Finding the Trailhead
To find the start of the Pilot Rock hike, exit from Interstate 40 east of Holbrook, Arizona at the Petrified Forest National Park exit. Drive a short distance north to the park visitor center. Here you can buy maps or get more information and water. Enter the park and drive a few miles to Kachina Point on the north end of the park's scenic drive.
Start at Kachina Point
Park at the trailhead for the wilderness area on the left side of the Painted Desert Inn National Historic Landmark. Before starting out, look northwest and locate Pilot Rock on the horizon-it's farther away than it looks.
Hike Cross Country to the Peak
Descend down the steep trail to the Painted Desert below. After about a mile the trail vanishes in the sand. Make your way northwest, crossing broad sandy valleys and climbing over ridges and hills of rounded shale and clay. After six and a half miles you'll reach the base of the peak. Pick a route and scramble to the summit. After enjoying the view, descend and hike back.
Read Fast Facts About Pilot Rock
Learn more about Pilot Rock by reading Pilot Rock--Highest Peak in Petrified Forest National Park.
For More Information
- Petrified Forest National Park
P.O. Box 2217
Petrified Forest, AZ 86028
Phone: 927-524-6228
Fax: 928-524-3567
Petrified Forest National Park Website
