Petrified Wood Trail

Petrified Wood Trail is a short but scientifically remarkable one-mile loop that winds among the largest and most colorful concentration of petrified wood in Utah — ancient logs and fragments up to 135 million years old, preserved in exquisite detail by silica replacement and stained brilliant red, purple, yellow, and white by mineral impurities. These fossils were once living trees in a vast Triassic-period forest that covered the region when dinosaurs roamed the Colorado Plateau.

The petrified logs display the original wood grain, bark texture, and annual ring patterns in perfect geological preservation — the transformation from organic tissue to stone so complete that cellular structures are sometimes visible under magnification. Individual specimens scattered along the trail range from small fragments to complete log sections over three feet in diameter and many feet in length. The vibrant colors — produced by quartz, feldspar, iron oxides, and manganese — make each piece unique and visually stunning. Interpretive signs explain the petrification process and the paleoecology of the Triassic forest. Collecting petrified wood is strictly prohibited. The trail gains 200 feet through a hillside covered in the fossils before looping back. Leashed dogs are permitted. A $14 per vehicle fee is charged at the park entrance, which also provides access to the Wide Hollow Reservoir for swimming and boating.