The Petrified Forest

Step back in Time, over 3 million years, and follow the trail of majestic petrified redwood giants arrayed before you in a fascinating grove in beautiful California wine country.

History

The Petrified Forest of Calistoga, California attracts thousands of visitors every year. Geologists call this attraction one of the finest examples of a pliocene fossil forest in the world. The park itself is privately owned and has been since its first proprietor started excavating the large petrified trees in 1871. (more)

Timeline

1880 – Famous writer Robert Louis Stevenson visits Charles Evans and his Petrified Forest. Stevenson recounts his visit in his booklet, The Silverado Squatters. (more)

Geology

Excerpted from the work “Volcanos in Eruption” by Terry Wright, Phd.

Imagine that you are in a grove of redwoods, some millions of years ago, with strange creatures scurrying around under a dense growth of trees and ferns. Smoke has been sighted coming from the towering volcano to the northeast, and a few earthquakes have rumbled through the forest in the past days, but nothing else is unusual. Suddenly, a puff of smoke arises from the side of the volcano, growing larger and larger in seconds and towering upward, shooting streamers of ash and bombs of lava outward. (more)