This Day Trip To The Mississippi Petrified Forest Is One Of The Best You Can Take In Mississippi

Open 363 days a year, (only closed on Thanksgiving and Christmas Day), the Mississippi Petrified Forest provides a look into prehistoric times. Located North of Jackson, Mississippi, in the little town of Flora, Mississippi, a day trip to the Petrified Forest will allow you to get in touch with nature and learn about the natural wonder of petrified trees.

The Mississippi Petrified Forest is a short but beautiful walk where you can see petrified logs, learn about the area's history, and simply enjoy nature.

The Nature Trail contains trail guides which tell the story of the Mississippi Petrified Forest. Walking this trail will provide you with all the knowledge you could hope to learn about the forest.

Besides the Nature Trail, the Mississippi Petrified Forest also has a small museum with petrified wood, dinosaur fossils, and whale bones!

Admission is $7 for adults and $6 for seniors and students.

The area also features a campground, pavilion, and gift shop, where you can pick out your own piece of petrified wood.

These petrified logs belonged to trees that lived for hundreds of years and were once more than 100 feet tall.

These logs became petrified through an extremely complex process. First, flooded rivers tore the trees from their roots before depositing them here. Then, subsequent floods carried sand and silt over the logs, burying the logs under many feet of sand, silt, and glacial dust. Over thousands of years, the logs became petrified in these conditions.

After being buried for thousands of years, erosion then begins to expose the petrified logs, providing an exciting look into the past and the power of Mother Nature and her floods—and the power of erosion.

In addition to the petrified wood, some fun remnants of Mississippi's past, like this train car, are also available to see in the forest.

The Petrified Forest is a unique and exciting day trip in Mississippi. Fun for children and adults, everyone involved is sure to learn something new and enjoy their time here!