| Escalante Petrified Forest State Park | |
|---|---|
IUCN category V (protected landscape/seascape) | |
 Large piece of petrified wood in Escalante Petrified Forest State Park | |
  Location of Escalante Petrified Forest State Park in Utah  Escalante Petrified Forest State Park (the United States) | |
| Location | Garfield, Utah, United States |
| Coordinates | 37°47′16″N 111°37′46″W / 37.78778°N 111.62944°W |
| Area | 1,350 acres (5.5 km2)[1] |
| Elevation | 5,900 ft (1,800 m)[2] |
| Established | 1976[3] |
| Visitors | 73,969 (in 2022)[4] |
| Governing body | Utah State Parks |
Escalante Petrified Forest State Park (also known as Escalante State Park) is a state park in Utah, United States, located 0.8 km north of Escalante and 71 km east of Bryce Canyon National Park. The park features a high mesa that was once an ancient floodplain. Approximately 135 to 155 million years ago, large trees were buried in mud during floods. Groundwater eventually replaced the organic material with silica, preserving the wood as fossils. Erosion has exposed these petrified logs, which were prized by hobbyists before the park's establishment. The logs are believed to be from conifers transported by a river before being buried and fossilized as agate.[5]
The varied colors of the petrified wood are due to different minerals absorbed during petrification. Iron oxides contribute to the orange, red, and yellow hues, while manganese oxides create blues, blacks, and purples.[6] The park also includes trails, camping areas, and a visitor center displaying petrified wood and fossilized dinosaur bones.[5]
- ^ "Escalante Petrified Forest State Park Resource Management Plan" (PDF). State of Utah Natural Resources: Division of Parks and Recreation. September 2005. Retrieved February 5, 2011.
- ^ "Escalante Petrified Forest State Park: About the Park". Utah State Parks. Archived from the original on March 16, 2011. Retrieved February 5, 2011.
- ^ "Discover Escalante Petrified Forest State Park". Utah State Parks. Utah Division of State Parks and Recreation. Retrieved August 21, 2024.
- ^ "Park Visitation Data". Utah State Parks. July 6, 2023.
- ^ a b Cite error: The named reference
Brochurewas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Morgan, S., B.W. Lindsay, and A.P. Williams. 2010. Geology of Escalante State Park, Utah. Pp. 429–436 in The Geology of Utah Parks and Monuments. Utah Geological Association Publication 28.