Torrey

Torrey is a tiny, unassuming town on the edge of the vast, otherworldly landscape of the Painted Desert and Petrified Forest National Park. This is classic outback Australia — red earth, endless skies, and a sense of profound isolation. The town itself is a quiet crossroads with a general store, a pub, and a handful of motels, but its real draw is the surrounding natural wonders. It’s the perfect base for exploring one of the continent’s most surreal and fossil-rich landscapes.

Highlights & What to See

• Petrified Forest National Park — walk among the ancient, fossilized logs that lie strewn across the badlands like giant stone bones. The colours are phenomenal: jasper, agate, and amethyst hues.
• Painted Desert — watch the sunrise or sunset paint the layered cliffs in shades of pink, orange, and purple. The view from Tawa Point is unforgettable.
• Crystal Forest — a short trail through a dense concentration of rainbow-coloured petrified wood, each log a glittering mosaic of quartz crystals.
• Blue Mesa — hike the loop trail through a landscape of blue-grey bentonite clay hoodoos, sculpted by erosion into otherworldly forms.
• Newspaper Rock — a sandstone panel covered in ancient petroglyphs, offering a direct link to the people who lived here centuries ago.

Suggested Time to Spend

Plan at least a full day to do justice to Petrified Forest National Park and the Painted Desert. If you’re driving the route between Flagstaff and Albuquerque, an overnight stay in Torrey allows you to catch sunset over the desert and sunrise on the petrified logs. Two days gives you time for longer hikes and deeper exploration of the park’s backcountry.

Nearby Areas Worth Combining

• Holbrook — the nearest sizable town, with Route 66 nostalgia and the quirky Wigwam Motel.
• Snowflake — a historic Mormon settlement with well-preserved pioneer architecture and a peaceful small-town vibe.
• Show Low — gateway to the White Mountains, offering cooler pine forests and fishing lakes, a sharp contrast to the desert.
• Petrified Forest National Park — the main attraction itself, easily combined with a stop at the Painted Desert Visitor Center.
• Navajo Nation — head north to explore Canyon de Chelly or the Four Corners monument, rich in Native American culture and history.

Please check official sources for current details.