It’s tough to be the little guy when you’re overshadowed by a giant. Escalante Petrified Forest State Park sits along the northern edge of the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument – 1,880,461 acres of protected wilderness that gets plenty of attention. Don’t be too quick to discount this little 1,350-acre state park, though. It’s packed with fun things to do, interesting things to see…and maybe even a legendary curse.

You’ll find Escalante Petrified Forest State Park just a half mile west of the town of Escalante, a tiny town with just 850 residents.

1. It’s an inexpensive day of recreation.
Robyn Cox/flickr
There’s a day use fee ($8, or $4 for seniors) to visit. For less than the price of one movie ticket, your family can enjoy a day of hiking, exploring and playing in the lake.
2. You’ll learn something new.
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The Visitor Center is full of interesting fossils and dinosaur bones from the Upper Jurassic Period. Check out the 50-foot-long petrified tree.
3. You can stay the night.
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Camp overnight at the Wide Hollow Campground for $19 per night, or park your RV at Lake View RV Campground (with water and electricity) for $25. The campgrounds feature restrooms with showers, so you can hose off the trail dust before tucking in for the night.
4. You can cool off in the lake.
Tom Zegler/flickr
Wide Hollow Reservoir was constructed for irrigation purposes, but it provides plenty of recreation, too. Boat, swim, or just sit on the bank and take it easy. Rent a kayak, canoe or paddleboard from the park. Call 435-616-3055 for more details.
5. You’ll get some exercise.
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Hike the Petrified Forest Trail, which loops through the park for 1 mile and takes you past many petrified logs. You can pick up an informative hiking guide at the trailhead. For a little more exercise, take the Sleeping Rainbows Trail, which adds another .75 miles to your hike. This trail is a lot steeper and requires some climbing over boulders, but is well worth the effort - you’ll see much more petrified wood in this section of the park.
6. You can catch your dinner.
Utah State Parks and Recreation/Facebook
The reservoir is regularly stocked with rainbow trout and bluegill, so the fishing can be pretty good.
7. The petrified wood is gorgeous.
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rjcox/flickr
The petrified wood at the park is millions of years old, and it’s rich in color: bright yellows, oranges, reds, purples and blues.
8. You’ll (hopefully) avoid a nasty curse.
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It’s illegal to remove anything from a state park, and you’ll definitely want to comply with the law. Legend has it that an ancient curse befalls anyone who removes petrified wood from the park. The visitor center has a glass case full of letters from people who have mailed back their souvenirs after suffering bad luck, which they believe is due to the curse. Whether the curse is real or not, leave the petrified wood where it lies so everyone can enjoy it.

Have you visited this amazing state park?

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