July 29, 2012 Petrified Forest Photos

We toured the famous redwood Petrified Forest just outside Calistoga. We arrived in time for the guided tour. This redwood forest was buried by volcanic ash from Mt. St. Helena (not to be confused with Mt. St. Helens in WA) about 3.4 million years ago. This is relatively recent in geological time. The volcanic blast knocked all the trees down in the same direction. These trees are closely related to the modern Coast Redwood and look very similar to them.


Ginger by the entrance


our tour guide


the only non-redwood trunk found


moss? hanging from oak


poison oak in fall color already


unwashed petrified wood with moss growing on it, looks like real wood


The Giant was 2000 years old when it fell


Long view of The Giant


Closeup view, looks like modern wood


more petrified wood


Manzanita tree in a meadow on our guided walk


View of Mt. St. Helena, ash in the foreground from that volcano


Our guide describing how the petrified wood is eroding out of this volcanic ash deposit from Mt. St. Helena


rattlesnake that crossed our trail


petrified base of tree trunk, colorful minerals deposited


petrified wood that looks like fresh wood


more petrified wood that looks like a freshly fallen log


This petrified log was excavated into the hillside.


View of the trunk in the hillside tunnel


"The Octopus" a living tree growing around some petrified wood


petrified rotted stump, preserved as it was

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