Figure 1. Petrified Wood in Crystal Forest, Petrified Forest National Park.
Petrified Forest National Monument was established in 1906 to protect the petrified wood found in northeast Arizona. It was enlarged to protect Panited Desert and Blue Mesa areas later and became a national park in 1962.
Petrified wood is not rare. In fact, it can be found in all 50 states in the United States. What makes Petrified Forest National Park special is the large quantity and the kaleidoscope of color. In many cases, it was deposited as log jam by flood and then buried and petrified. Erosion makes them exposed today for us to enjoy.
Petrified wood can be seen in many parts of the park. The convenient place to see it is in the southern part, and Crystal Forest is one such place. You may find some logs are sliced regularly as if an ancient lumberjack cut it. Actually it was broken this way naturally. This log is one of the most photographed petrified wood in the park and any visitor should not miss it.
