Arizona · National Park trail

Giant Logs Trail Stop #8

in Arizona

Stop 8: Badlands Badlands are not confined to the state of South Dakota’s famous national park. Nor a Bruce Springsteen album. They are also here all around you. A badland is an area of soft rock strata that is cut and eroded into many gullies and irregular shapes where vegetation cannot take hold.

The rolling hills underneath this rambling trail are fine examples of badlands. They also account for much of the trail damage. Though it may be dry today, all those little channels carry water and remove rock and soils.

As the ground is shifted by erosion, the trail on top moves as well.

States: Arizona
Trail type: National Park trail
Centroid nearest city: Flagstaff, AZ · 104 mi · ~3.0 hr drive
Centroid coords: 34.8147°, -109.8667°

About Petrified Forest National Park

National Park

This trail is inside Petrified Forest National Park, a national park managed by the U.S. National Park Service. Conditions, road status, trail closures, and reservation requirements are published on the park's NPS page — check it before driving in, especially in winter or during major weather events.

Entrance fee: $25 per vehicle (verify current rate on the park page). An America the Beautiful annual pass ($80) covers entrance to all NPS units.

Official NPS trail page: https://www.nps.gov/places/giant-logs-trail-stop-8.htm

Park homepage: https://www.nps.gov/pefo/index.htm

Plan your hike

Practical notes

Maps + permits: long-distance trails like this often require permits for through-hiking, backcountry camping, or specific sections (especially in National Parks). Check with the maintaining organisation listed above and the relevant land manager before booking travel.

Water + supplies: water sources vary seasonally on most U.S. trails. Carry a filter and consult current trail-condition reports — through-hiker journals (PCT-L, AT Reddit, etc.) and the maintaining organisation publish regular updates.

When to go: hiking seasons vary widely with elevation, latitude, and snowpack. Through-hikers traditionally start the AT in March-April (Springer northbound) and the PCT in late April (Campo northbound). High-elevation western trails (CDT, JMT, Wonderland) generally aren't passable until July.

If you've hiked Giant Logs Trail Stop #8 and have current notes (water sources, trail closures, permit changes), tell us at /contact — we update pages as we learn.