Petrified Wood

Petrified Wood

Quick Facts

Location:

Caprock Coulee Trail

Light-colored pieces of petrified wood dot the far hillside. They are the fossilized remains of trees that grew here 55 million years ago. Parts of the trees were covered by sediment which prevented decay. Ground water slowly filled the cell spaces with minerals. The minerals hardened, preserving the trees as rocks. Much later in time, erosion exposed the petrified wood. The trees, likely cypress or magnolia, are further evidence of the area’s swampy past.