Devil’s Playground in Petrified Forest National Park, AZ

Hike Devil’s Playground Petrified Forest National Park, AZ

Class 1 8.2 miles 600 gain 3-5 hrs Loop Oct 24, 2020
Effort
Beauty
Personality
Solitude

Devil’s Playground GPX Track

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A permit is required to hike into the Devil's Playground. I believe this is because part of the hike is on private property, but you need to head to the Petrified Forest National Park visitor center to obtain the free permit.

The Devil's Playground is a fun region within Petrified Forest National Park that takes a fairly long walk to reach. Exploring the rock features and hoodoos of the area consists of a more choose-your-own-adventure sort of hike, since there's no official trail once you get to the heart of the Playground. The route Austin and I took was just a nice loop to see some of the features, and we headed back after we felt we got a sense of the area. After obtaining the required permit from the Petrified Forest National Park Vistor Center, we started out from the parking area (2WD likely would not have trouble making it here if the road isn't muddy and moving slowly). The guide the NPS provides for locating the Devil's Playground area required us to park here, and then hike back along the dirt road on foot. The road passed a gate, and we found ourselves crossing Lithodendron Wash, the major wash flowing through much of the park. We headed northwest up an unnamed wash. While there is an "official" trail that is marked with brown stakes that follows the left bank of this wash, it's probably easier just to walk within the wash since it's less sandy. Eventually, we bisected the "trail" and followed it along an eroded and barely recognizable road. The road led up to a mesatop, where an obvious trail continued to the north for a mile or so. The trail then droppded down off the mesa, through a meadow, and then to a fence. A key spot along the fence has a human-sized opening.

We continued north, enjoying the colors and rock formations that began to start appearing. Our route headed counter-clockwise as appears on the attached map, but you can really do whatever. Just don't touch/destroy any of the rock formations. We found a feature the NPS calls "Three Witches" and used this as a good halfway point. Just enjoy the area without relying too heavily on a predetermined route. There's no correct way to check it out, since there's a lot you can see.

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After leaving the trailhead, we backtracked along the road and headed down this road down to Lithodendron Wash, seen ahead.
After leaving the trailhead, we backtracked along the road and headed down this road down to Lithodendron Wash, seen ahead.
The "official" trail, which follows the left bank of an unnamed wash.
The "official" trail, which follows the left bank of an unnamed wash.
Within the unnamed wash instead of following the trail. It was more open and less sandy.
Within the unnamed wash instead of following the trail. It was more open and less sandy.
Heading north into the wash.
Heading north into the wash.
We bisected the trail. See the brown trail marker on the right?
We bisected the trail. See the brown trail marker on the right?
Ascending to the top of the mesa ahead.
Ascending to the top of the mesa ahead.
Looking back as we near the top of the mesa along the eroded road.
Looking back as we near the top of the mesa along the eroded road.
Heading along the mesa.
Heading along the mesa.
Dropping down the north side of the mesa.
Dropping down the north side of the mesa.
Heading northeast toward the Devil's Playground.
Heading northeast toward the Devil's Playground.
Looking back toward the mesa.
Looking back toward the mesa.
Human-sized entrance into the Devil's Playground.
Human-sized entrance into the Devil's Playground.
Great stuff shortly after passing the fence.
Great stuff shortly after passing the fence.
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Heading counter-clockwise around the Devil's Playground.
Heading counter-clockwise around the Devil's Playground.
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The area I labeled "cool grotto" on the attached map.
The area I labeled "cool grotto" on the attached map.
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Wrapping around the northern side of our loop.
Wrapping around the northern side of our loop.
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Three Witches ahead.
Three Witches ahead.
Three Witches.
Three Witches.
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A side canyon that ends in a dryfall.
A side canyon that ends in a dryfall.
Dryfall.
Dryfall.
Looking back into the Devil's Playground as we complete our loop and head back the way we came.
Looking back into the Devil's Playground as we complete our loop and head back the way we came.

Hire me or show me some love!

Hire/refer me as a web developer or send me a few bucks if you find my site useful. I’m not sponsored, so all fees are out-of-pocket and my time preparing trip reports is unpaid. I really appreciate it!