A Petrified Forest in the South
Ancient Giants: Mississippi's Petrified Forest
The Mississippi Petrified Forest, a registered natural landmark since 1966, is a unique natural wonder and one of only two petrified forests in the eastern United States. Although we visited the Petrified Forest National Park in Arizona last year, we were glad we also visited this smaller one near Jackson, MS.
About 36 million years ago, towering fir and maple trees washed down an ancient river. Over time, the driftwood was buried by sand and loess and transformed into stunning stone antiques. Soil erosion exposed these amazing fossilized trees. These massive petrified logs still look like real trees, not the colored fossilized ones we saw in Arizona. We had to touch the tree log to be sure!
Date
Sunday, October 16, 2022
Distances
0.55 miles
Moving Time
0:17:00 hours
Weather
73 °F, sunny, light air