The Petrified National Park holds the enormous pine trees that were once as wide as 9 feet and 200 feet tall during the Triassic period, 200 million years ago.
Fallen trees were often buried by the river sediments. Nearby volcanoes erupted and blanketed the area in volcanic ash with a high silica or crystal content. Rapid burial preserved the trees perfectly.
The ash was dissolved by groundwater and the silica or crystal created petrified wood and turned the wood to stone.
But there’s more than wood to the Petrified Forest’s history. You can see remnants of more than 13,000 years of human history at the park, including Puerco Pueblo that is a nearly 800-year-old, 100-room dwelling.
There is also a museum with a diverse and extensive collection of prehistoric pottery fossils.
Explore the quirky adventures and misadventures as I take you on a journey of the United States National Parks. These journeys inspired me to explore even more about the history of the United States, the good, the bad and the ugly. These journeys are encouragements to explore, or re-examine these beautiful lands. From mountain roads with hairpin turns to stunning seaside escapes to exploring good old American history, these are amazing journeys to take in this lifetime.
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