Apache County

A high-plateau county in northeastern Arizona, where the colorful fossils of Petrified Forest National Park and the Painted Desert amaze visitors.

Apache County is located in eastern Arizona, stretching from north to south across the Colorado Plateau. A large portion of the northern county lies within the Navajo Nation, and the county also contains Canyon de Chelly National Monument. Travelers are most familiar with Petrified Forest National Park, renowned for its Triassic-era fossilized trees that have turned into colorful stone, set against the vibrant, layered landscapes of the Painted Desert. Spring and autumn offer comfortable temperatures, while summer brings intense sunlight. Interstate 40 runs through the county, roughly following the historic Route 66, making it easy to drive in from Flagstaff or Albuquerque.

Destinations

• Canyon de Chelly
• Gallup
• Flagstaff

Itineraries

• Arizona Desert, Red Rocks & Grand Canyon – A Phoenix loop taking you from the giant saguaro cacti of the Sonoran Desert to the red rocks of Sedona and the South R…
• Four Corners Ancestral Puebloan Loop – An Albuquerque-based loop through the Four Corners region, featuring cliff dwellings, narrow-gauge railroads, Monument…
• Route 66 Southwest Road Trip – Drive west from Tulsa along historic Route 66, passing through Amarillo, Santa Fe, and Flagstaff, ending in Las Vegas.