Crystal Forest Gift Shop & Campground

Location was great as you are right outside the south entrance to the Petrified Forest NP which is exactly why we were here. We found a spot with a picnic table right up front but they had a whole other back lot with open space to park in. At first we thought it was completely blocked off since there was petrified wood stumps blocking the entry to it but then later realized there was an entrance all the way in the back by the fence that you could squeeze through. Overall great experience. We took the advice of other reviews and did not run our generator especially with our neighbors being so close but if that's an issue you can pay for electricity hook up across the street at the other campground. Can't beat FREE though and there was a dumpster near the side of the gift shop you can use. Make sure to stop in at the gift shop to see the nice ladies who work there and get some goodies! Only complaint was the cell service. We have Tmobile. It was very hit and miss [3G/ 4G - 1 bar] or non existence at times.

Verizon speeds were bad at 3mbps download and 8mbps upload with a roof mounted Pepwave antenna. TMobile was roaming onto AT&T. Starlink speeds were good at 100/10.

We spent 3 nights here to explore Petrified Forest. It's about 50 yards away from the south gate. Pretty basic gravel with some old picnic tables. Can't complain because it was free and conveniently located.

Electricity available across the street.

Before I get to the campground review, a little PSA: there is zero reason to run your generator all day and all night when there is an empty campground directly across the street for only $18/night. If you can’t go one single night without your generator, please do us all a favor and enjoy the unlimited electricity 300 feet away for less than you pay in gas to run the noise box for 27 straight hours.

Minus the annoying neighbors, this campground is fantastic! Level sites with picnic tables that most rigs can fit in. Unbeatable location to Petrified Forest National Park. Cute little store with gifts, snacks, and drinks. And a short drive to Holbrook if you need anything more.

The internet was usable but inconsistent - generally fine for working and streaming, but not great for video calls. Speed examples below but they varied widely each time we tested.

AT&T: 28.8 down / 0.59 up
Verizon: 4.47 down / 5.46 up

Can’t say anything to complain about this free parking spot! We arrived and left in the rain, and the gravel lot never got too flooded. There were a handful of other rigs camping at the same time as us, but we never actually saw any of our neighbors. Despite Google saying the store would be open until 4pm, it was closed by the time we arrived around 3:15pm.

Decent enough cell reception for some light internet browsing (AT&T had higher download speeds, 35 mbps, while Verizon had slightly better upload speeds, 5.1 mbps, on our Inseego hotspot, but both just a few bars of LTE).

The closest services are in Holbrook about 20 minutes away (one way), so just be prepared before you arrive.

We would camp here again for a night if we needed to.

We completed a video review on the videos tab here in a campendium

In this video we provide a comprehensive review of the Crystal Forest Campground (free) and the Petrified Forest RV Park ($25/night) near Petrified Forest National Park, Hollbrook, Arizona. This amazing free camping area is just steps outside the south entrance of the park. Perfect for rigs of any size.

34.7927827, -109.8914773