Petrified Forest National Park – 2012

Visited the Petrified Forest National Park after we left the Grand Canyon National Park.

Petrified Forest was set aside as a national monument in 1906 to preserve and protect the petrified wood for its scientific value. It is recognized today for having so much more, including a broad representation of the Late Triassic paleo-ecosystem, significant human history, clear night skies, fragile grasslands ecosystem, and unspoiled scenic vistas.

Petrified wood at Petrified Forest National Park is almost solid quartz, weighing in at 168 pounds per cubic foot. It’s so hard, you can only cut it with a diamond tipped saw!