Details
Features
About this place
The remains of a 36 million year old petrified forest in the heart of Mississippi.
Mississippi Petrified Forest is a petrified forest located near Flora, Mississippi in the United States. It is a little over 20 miles northwest of Jackson. It is privately owned and open for public visits. The forest is believed to have been formed 36 million years ago when fir and maple logs washed down an ancient river channel to the current site where they later became petrified. It is one of only two petrified forests in the eastern United States, the other being Gilboa Fossil Forest in New York. It was declared a National Natural Landmark in October 1965.
The trail is under a mile. It features lots of signs which explain what you are seeing. There is also a nice brochure which adds many more details.
The site features a museum with examples of petrified wood found in every state and from other countries. The samples include a variety of plant materials, including leaves, fruits, cones and bark. Other fossils and fossil casts are on display, including dinosaur footprints, whale bones and turtle shells.
Below is my personal video of the site: