The One U.S. National Park That’s Like Something From Your Wildest Dreams

There are plenty of surreal landscapes here in the U.S., and the one found at Petrified Forest National Park certainly qualifies. With naturally-painted rocks, desert landscape, and an element of the surreal, you might mistake this scene for something from your wildest dreams. Take a look at the following photos and you may just be tempted to see this unique national park to visit in Arizona:

Petrified Forest National Park is a treasure trove of bizarre and otherworldly landscapes. Located in Northeastern Arizona, the area encompasses over 200 square miles.

Exploring this surreal landscape, you'll feel in awe of the immense history.

The park is named for the presence of petrified wood deposits, which have the appearance of large and colorful rocks.

The vibrant colors of the petrified wood are created by sediments and mineral deposits that accumulated during the petrification process. Most of the stone is silica and quartz; the red hues indicate traces of iron oxide, while blues are the result of minerals like copper, cobalt, and chromium.

It's estimated that some of the wood deposits date back to the Late Triassic Period, over 220 million years ago.

There have been hundreds of ancient dwellings discovered in the park and it is believed that humans arrived here at least 8,000 years ago.

For more information about Petrified Forest National Park, including additional details and directions, be sure to visit the official website here. Have you explored this park before? What was your favorite part? Be sure to share with us - we love hearing from you!

This national park to visit in Arizona is amazing, and so are our other ones, so make sure to see why our state parks are the best in the nation!