Petrified Forest National Park's Fossilized Beauty

The Fascinating Story of the Petrified Forest

The Petrified Forest National Park in northeastern Arizona protects one of the world's largest and most colorful concentrations of petrified wood. The park spans about 230 square miles of scenic badlands and arid grasslands near the Painted Desert.

The Petrifaction Process

Petrified wood forms when plant material gets buried in sediment and volcanic ash. Groundwater rich in dissolved silica flows through the sediment, replacing organic matter with silica crystals as plant cells slowly decay. This petrifaction process preserves the original cell structure, yielding petrified wood that retains much of the original wood's appearance.

In most cases, petrification takes place over thousands or even millions of years. The petrified logs found in the Petrified Forest National Park range from 150 million to 225 million years in age.

A Tropical Past

During the Late Triassic period about 225 million years ago, the Petrified Forest area had a tropical climate and environment. Rivers and streams supported dense forests with trees related to modern day araucarias, ginkgos, and tree ferns.

Prehistoric reptiles like phytosaurs, early dinosaurs, and giant amphibians inhabited the region. Their remains have been found in Petrified Forest National Park, offering clues about the ecosystem before petrification preserved snippets of that ancient landscape.

Petrified Wood Treasures

Today, eroding badlands in the park reveal beautiful petrified wood in a rainbow of vibrant colors. These colors reflect traces of original plant pigments plus mineral staining from groundwater. Quartz crystals sparkle on some logs.

Petrified Forest National Park protects one of Earth's largest petrified wood sites, with over 13,000 logged areas containing petrified wood. Park lands likely hold hundreds of thousands more petrified trees still encased in rock.

Visiting the Petrified Forest

Petrified Forest National Park offers about 8 miles of paved roads with access to viewpoints for petrified wood alongside panoramic vistas. Hiking trails traverse grasslands and badlands with petrified wood scattered across the landscape.

A visit to this unique park provides an opportunity to glimpse an ancient tropical ecosystem captured in stone. Petrified wood offers clues into the flora, fauna, and environments of the distant past.

FAQs

How old are the petrified logs in the park?

The petrified logs and forest remnants found in Petrified Forest National Park date back to the Late Triassic period, making them between 150 and 225 million years old.

What colors can the petrified wood be?

The petrified wood can display a rainbow of colors, including red, orange, yellow, green, black, white, and purple. These bright colors come from trace minerals in the sediments and groundwater that seeped through the buried wood.

Are there dinosaur fossils found here too?

Yes! Petrified Forest National Park preserves fossils from some of Earth's earliest dinosaurs, including meat eaters and plant eaters, along with giant amphibians, early reptiles, and more. Over 550 species have been identified from fossils in the park.