Of all the things you can discover here in the West, few wonders are as breathtaking as the Petrified Forest in Wyoming. You can hike through this swath of new growth forest and encounter trees that have been preserved as part of the landscape for more than 55 million years. Just how is that possible? Read on to learn the story of these incredible natural artifacts.

Many people don't realize that Wyoming was once home to a forest of towering Redwood Trees.
AllTrails / Mike Osswald
Today, you can walk through the remnants of these ancient trees when you visit the Petrified Forest in Wyoming.
AllTrails / Mike Needham
This forest was formed more than 50 million years ago. A series of volcanos in the Absaroka Range erupted, covering the landscape in ash. The trees were preserved under the ash, and new forest grew in overtop of the debris.
AllTrails / Jeff Hartman

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For the next several thousand years, this cycle repeated, and eventually there were multiple layers of petrified forest under the earth. Millions of years later, wind and water eroded the earth and exposed these trees.
Tripadvisor / Maggie R.
Today, nature lovers and historians hike around Specimen Ridge in the Lamar Valley to see these preserved artifacts up close.
AllTrails / Jeff Hartman
The trail through the Petrified Forest is 3.5 miles out and back, and considered moderately challenging. It's easiest to tackle in the summertime, or early fall.
AllTrails / Mike Needham
One particularly famous tree is preserved by the park, so that it cannot be damaged by tourists and visitors and will forever remain a part of the Petrified Forest in Wyoming.
AllTrails / JS Allen

Have you ever seen the petrified forest in Wyoming? Make plans to visit when the weather warms up and you’ll be walking through history itself.

You’ll find the Petrified Forest along Specimen Ridge, just south of the Lamar River Bridge. Check in with the Tower Junction Rangers if you’re looking for a guided tour.

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Petrified Forest, Wyoming 82513, USA