Escalante Petrified Forest

Throughout the United States, and in fact the world, there are places where time and nature have turned living trees into beautiful, petrified stones.  In the south-central portion of Utah, you can find one of these marvels of the natural world at the Escalante Petrified Forest.

OK, so it is not THE most famous petrified forest in America, but the Escalante Petrified Forest State Park is well worth a visit on its own.  It is small in comparison to the Petrified Forest National Park in Arizona, but it doesn’t have the crowds.  

Located at the Wide Hollow Reservoir, you can enjoy a wonderful hike that takes you to some amazing scenery where you can see numerous examples of the park’s petrified wood.

At the park, there is the reservoir where you can go boating, canoeing, and fishing.  In addition, there is a nice campground with group sites as well as for RV’s.  Near the reservoir is a very nice picnic area.

Just behind the campground, there is a trail that will lead you to the large logs of the petrified forest.  The trail is not too rugged and you will see many examples of petrified wood in a wide array of colors, shown below:

The day can get a bit warm so drink plenty of water, wear comfortable shoes, and watch your step, there may be snakes hiding under the brush.

It is tempting, but leave the pieces of petrified wood for the next visitor to enjoy.  In the past, these amazing works of Mother Nature were blasted with dynamite by gem hunters looking to find amethyst inside the large petrified logs.

Just outside of the park is a private rock shop where you can buy pieces of Escalante petrified wood and an assortment of rocks and minerals from all over the world.  

When you complete your hike, stop by the visitor center where you can see displays of petrified wood, fossilized dinosaur bones, and other fossils.

Above, Escalante in relation to Bryce Canyon and other Utah attractions.

We hope that you enjoyed this post about a wonderful place that you will certainly love to add as a drop in your bucket.  If you in this area, consider a stop at this unique place. 

All photographs are the copyright of Jim Jackson Photography and Nida Jackson Photography. Please contact me with any questions, comments, or for authorization to use photos or for signed, high-resolution prints.

If you found this article useful, please like, share, and follow.

For more information about the Escalante Petrified Forest, please follow this link:

https://stateparks.utah.gov/parks/escalante-petrified-forest/