Petrified Forest Brochure

THE PETRIFIED FOREST
STEP BACK IN TIME OVER 3 MILLION YEARS AND WALK
THE TRAIL OF THE PETRIFIED REDWOOD GIANTS
California Registered Historical Landmark !"#$
The World!s Largest Petri"ed Trees
Over three million years ago a volcano in the direction of Mt% St% Helena erupted &
miles to the Northeast% As Luthur Burbank said: 'A tremedous earthquake shook the
country!!!the earthquake was so violent that it hurled down the giant redwood!!!"re#
ashes# molten lava came out and coursed down the valley in which now lies the Petri(
"ed Forest! $ This same pale yellow# sandy ash is the soil you walk on today when you
visit the Petri"ed Forest!
All the petri"ed tree tops point in a Southwest direction away from the volcano sup(
porting the theory that the blast knocked the trees over% When Mt% St% Helens in
Washington exploded in %&'(# trees were blown down parallel to a lateral blast from
the volcano and show tops pointing away from the source! These kinds of processes
have been active in the past at the Petri"ed Forest and are a perfect example of the
geological principle of uniformitarianism! The trees at Mt! St! Helens were not buried
in ash# so they will not be petri"ed!
Water laden with silicates in the ash seeped down into the gaps left behind by the
decomposing tree "bers: replacing the wood cell by cell with crystalized silica until the
entire tree became stone Some of the silica has agatized into a colorful glass)like gem(
stone%
An ocean covered this area at times during the last ) million years% In the Museum
there are fossilized "sh and shells that were found with petri"ed worms# snails and
clams%
PLEASE HELP PREVENT FOREST FIRES
THE PETRIFIED FOREST TRAIL
#% MUSUEUM AND NATURE STORE are located in the Ollie Bockee house# built
in %&%,# where she received her friends# the Luther Burbanks!
*% TWO VALLEY OAKS : both over +,, years old%
)% CALIFORNIA STATE HISTORICAL MONUMENT PLAQUE: NO. 915.
+% WATER EXHIBIT
$% PETRIFIED WOOD PILE
*Petri"ed Charllie*s meadow is where Charlie Evans# in %'+%# found the "rst stump
of petri"ed wood while tending his cows!
-% DOUGLAS FIR
&% CALIFORNIA BAY
.% THE PIT PINE TREE: - feet in diameter# ./ feet in length exposed!
"% GULLY TREE
#,% THE PETRIFIED WOODPILE and "gure of MINER and BURRO%
##% MANZANITA GROVE
#*% THE GIANT: 0( feet in length# 0 feet in diameter! 1All
of the larger trees still have their bark%/
#)% WHITE OAK WITH 5 PETRIFIED WOOD STUMPS UNDERNEATH FOR CLOSE EXAMINATION.
#+% THE QUEEN OF THE FOREST: ' feet in daimter# 0, feet in
length! 1Some of these Redwoods were over -#((( years old
when they were buried over ) million years ago%
#$% OLLIE BOCKEE TREES In %&%.# Ollie Bockee purchased the property
and developed it by charging $,0 admission% She then used some
of the funds to pay geology students to excavate more trees% What
was discovered were the worlds largest Petri"ed Trees!
#-% THE MONARCH or TUNNEL TREE: 0 feet in diameter# %(, feet in length exposed!
#&% MADRONE
WHEELCHAIR ACCESS: !. mile trail# parts paved and parts well worn and compacted surface!
Steep incline on the last %2%( of a mile of the trail! Moderate degree to moderately di3cult!
#.% ROCK OF AGES are exposed ends of trees estimated to
be the same dimensions as the monarch%
#"% THE ROBERT LOUIS STEVENSON TREE was mention by the author in
his book# THE SILVERDO SQUATTERS% Over . feet in diameter
*,% ROBERT LOUIS STEVENSON MOUNMENT. To commemorate the discovery
of the Petri"ed Forest by $Petri"ed Charlie4 in the year %'+% and
Charlies*s meeting in %''( with Robert Louis Stevenson# immortalized
in the book The Silverado Squatters! And to honor all those who
devoted their lives to developing and preserving this forest%
*#% BLACK OAK
**% WOOD PILE
*)% COASTAL LIVE OAK
THANK YOU FOR NOT SMOKING ON THE TRAIL.
THE PETRIFIED FOREST
4100 PETRIFIED FOREST ROAD
CALISTOGA, CA 94515
707-942-6667
WWW.PETRIFIEDFOREST.ORG
OPEN DAILY: 9-6, WINTER: 9-5
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