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Front Row Seat! Petrified Forest!

80%
·
· Sun Valley, Apache, Arizona
10 acres hosted by Brett S.
2 RV sites
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Near Petrified Forest National Park
Within a 30-minute drive from the Painted Desert Visitor Center.
Nomadic camping
Best for self-contained campers. There are no toilets, showers, or potable water at this Hipcamp.
Learn more about this land: This raw land property, right at the edge of the Petrified Forest National Park, gives you amazing views of and walking access into the park (with an already purchased entrance pass) to the ancient Puerco Pueblo and the stunning views of Newspaper Rock. Cell reception in the area is decent. I had access to TMobile data from the property the last time I was there though not all areas of the park have the same luxury. City folk (like it seems I have sadly become these days) often forget what a beautiful starry night sky can look like. One clear night here and you'll see a sky full of stars, the milky way, planets and maybe a shooting star. As a International Dark Sky Park, the parks nightscape falls on the Bortel scale of 3 (1 being darkest and 9 being brightest). For more info go to www.nps.gov/pefo/learn/nature/darkskies Outside of the Petrified Forest National Park in Holbrook, we recommend visiting Jim Gray's Petrified Wood Co. and the Navajo County Historical Society Museum. Nearest gas can be found at the Painted Desert Visitor Center or west down I-40 toward Holbrook at the Hopi Travel Plaza. In Holbrook, groceries can be found at Safeway and local restaurants include Camaleon Cafe, Butterfield Stage Co. Steak House and Mandarin Beauty and host of other Mexican and American restaurants. Trucks do come down Adamana Rd to the storage facility during the week though you probably won't hear or see them much. The train can be a bit loud and obnoxious for some (or a something exciting for the kids) depending on how frequently it passes through so ear plugs at night may be advised. I'm usually pretty accessible and close to my phone so feel free to message me with any questions you may have, before during or after your trip! ***Please read all rules and descriptions in the listing thoroughly before booking to make sure this listing is a good fit!*** We look forward to having you!This raw land property, right at the edge of the Petrified Forest National Park, gives you amazing views of and walking access into the park (with an already purchased entrance pass) to the ancient Puerco Pueblo and the stunning views of Newspaper Rock. Cell reception in the area is decent. I had access to TMobile data from the property the last time I was there though not all areas of the park have the same luxury. City folk (like it seems I have sadly become these days) often forget what a beautiful starry night sky can look like. One clear night here and you'll see a sky full of stars, the milky way, planets and maybe a shooting star. As International Dark Sky Park, the parks nightscape falls on the Bortel scale of 3 (1 being darkest and 9 being brightest). For more info go to www.nps.gov/pefo/learn/nature/darkskies Outside of the Petrified Forest National Park in Holbrook, we recommend visiting Jim Gray's Petrified Wood Co. and the Navajo County Historical Society Museum. Nearest gas can be found at the Painted Desert Visitor Center or west down I-40 toward Holbrook at the Hopi Travel Plaza. In Holbrook, groceries can be found at Safeway and local restaurants include Camaleon Cafe, Butterfield Stage Co. Steak House and Mandarin Beauty and host of other Mexican and American restaurants. Trucks do come down Adamana Rd to the storage facility during the week though you probably won't hear or see them much. The train can be a bit loud and obnoxious for some (or something exciting for the kids) depending on how frequently it passes through so ear plugs at night may be advised. I'm usually pretty accessible and close to my phone so feel free to message me with any questions you may have, before during or after your trip! Please note that, while not hard to get to, it is well off the beaten path, and buried as close to being in the PFNP as possible without being in it! (Check the map below to see for yourself. :) ) Off the main asphalt roadways and down a long well paved dirt road you'll find it so following the directions provided closely (and NOT using Google Maps) will guarantee an assured arrival as planned. ***Please read all rules and descriptions in the listing thoroughly before booking to make sure this listing is a good fit!*** We look forward to having you!
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Off-roading (OHV)
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80%
60 ratings · 54 reviews
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Gregory W.doesn't recommend
November 10, 2024
Front Row Seat! Petrified Forest!
Consider the Description Carefully
I arrived just before sunset, as suggested, and the directions were fine. There is really just one campsite along the dirt road with the brush cleared away, but it was already taken when I arrived, so I was a bit put off by that, but I found a partially-cleared spot further down the dirt tire tracks. The description had a heads-up about the nearby train tracks and trains so I was ready for some noise, but as I watched the sunset, I noticed a repair vehicle driving down the tracks but I thought nothing of it. No trains came by until about 11:00 PM, and then: AT LEAST 12 FREIGHT TRAINS WENT BY DURING THE NIGHT AND EVERY SINGLE ONE BLEW ITS HORN MULTIPLE TIMES DUE TO THE NEARBY RR CROSSING!!! The tracks must have been closed for repairs (which would explain the repair vehicle) and the trains probably got backed up, so I assume that night was not typical. I had booked two nights but no way was I going back for the second night. I would suggest considering the warnings of train noise carefully and being ready for train horns because of the nearby RR crossing.
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Barbara M.
November 2, 2024
Front Row Seat! Petrified Forest!
A spot for train lovers!
The host was very responsive and his directions were great especially since we arrived in daylight. We like the private feel of the desert. We were happy to be driving a high clearance vehicle and didn’t really need 4x4. But the trains!!!! Plan on a sleepless night or bring earplugs if that noise is not your thing.
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Rick F.recommends
September 27, 2024
Front Row Seat! Petrified Forest!
it was a little hard to find as we got there late. A sign would have helped. However, we really enjoyed the privacy and the barren area. The trains were a bit of a bother but tolerable. Good spot.
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Jennifer F.recommends
September 1, 2024
Front Row Seat! Petrified Forest!
Exactly What I Wanted
I fully planned to get to the site before dark, but that didn't happen. The directions are simple in the daylight but a little tricky in the dark. Brett was very gracious in helping me navigate. This is a dispersed camping site, which is exactly what I like --there was no one else around. I like trains, so while I do wish the horn were not so loud, I was fine with it. In fact, the whole experience felt like stepping back in time. The train is close, so the horn is quite loud --if you do not like that, then this is not the site for you.
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Tia M.recommends
August 17, 2024
Front Row Seat! Petrified Forest!
Great stay! Great views! Was a wonderful overnight stop on our 26 hour road trip.
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Caleb P.recommends
July 22, 2024
Front Row Seat! Petrified Forest!
Location was amazing! Host communicates well and answered all questions!
Location
Sun Valley, Apache, Arizona, United StatesTraditional, ancestral territory of Diné Bikéyah, Hopitutskwa, Pueblos, and Shiwinna (Zuni) First Nations according to To respect the Host's privacy, the precise address of this land will be provided after booking
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Hosted by Brett S.

Joined in August 2020
Response rate: 100%
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