Stone Trees

Do you like rocks? I do. That’s why I like Petrified Forest National Park so much. Petrified Forest has some of the coolest rocks you’ll see anywhere.

Step back in time to the Dawn of the Dinosaurs. Picture a tropical rain forest – say, something like the Amazon. But with a bigger river, even bigger than the Amazon.  As trees in the forest fall from wind or water, they’re carried down the river until they sink and are buried in the mud. It’s a weird world where these trees grow. There are dinosaurs, even some tiny pterodactyls. The real giants, though, are the crocodiles. They’re even bigger than the dinosaurs! A monster amphibian lives in the river, too. It looks like no amphibian you’ve ever seen. This is one scary animal. A predator, it resembles a dinosaur, is as big as a dinosaur, too, but stocky. The bones of all these creatures have been found in the Petrified Forest.Over time, the trees are buried deeper and deeper. The world goes through changes, and volcanic ash inundates the land that once supported a tropical forest. Water, loaded with dissolved silica and minerals from the volcanic ash, seeps down and replaces the wood with the silica and minerals. The trees are turned to stone. Time and erosion brought this ancient landscape back to light. Logs, rainbow remnants of an ancient age, litter the land. Petrified wood is not the only color found here. These jewels are set against a background of beautiful badlands and banded buttes. The National Park includes part of Arizona’s Painted Desert. As I walk out over the land, or look closer at the petrified wood, it reminds me of the subtle hues of a Navajo weaving. It’s easy to see where their designs originated.

Before the Navajo, this was the home of Ancestral Puebloans. Their traces remain throughout the park. One of the most popular trails leads to Agate House, a ruin built with petrified wood.I know you will covet the beautiful stones, but please restrain yourself. Don’t steal from your grandchildren. Leave these lovely rocks for them to enjoy! If you just have to bring a piece home, I understand the feeling. But there are better options. You can buy petrified wood found on private land just outside the park. If you want to find your own, there are places outside the park you can go. If you want a lot, talk to Patton and Sons at the rock shop just south of the park. They’ll let you collect off their property for just 50 cents a pound. There’s a 25 pound minimum. If you want just a little, look on Silver Creek south of Holbrook. For more ideas, check out Bessie Simpson and James R. Mitchell’s Gem Trails of Arizona.

Come to the Petrified Forest and enjoy the colors!

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