Welcome to the Petrified Forest National Park!
You will find this park in the state of Arizona. You find a strange and colorful landscape. Yellow, red, and even purple rocks and sand cover the hilly earth. Huge pieces of ancient trees twist in unusual ways.
The area is the only national park that includes a part of the historic U.S. Route 66. The word "forest" may mislead visitors. The park is in a desert. And the word "petrified" -- which can mean "afraid"-- may scare visitors away! But fear not. "Petrified Forest" gets its name from the trees that have, over millions of years, turned to stone. That natural process is called fossilization. Much of the Petrified Forest formed from tall trees called conifers. They grew over 200 million years ago near waterways. During floods, water forced the trees to be pulled up from the ground. Over time, the wood from the trees became petrified.
