Photo by T.Scott Williams

Petrified wood in Blue Mesa badlands.

Petrified Forest was set aside as a national monument in 1906 to preserve and protect the petrified wood for its scientific value. It is recognized today for having so much more, including a broad representation of the Late Triassic paleo-ecosystem, significant human history, clear night skies, fragile grasslands ecosystem, and unspoiled scenic vistas.

Scientific studies are on-going at the park. Paleontologists find new fossils, including new species of plants and animals, each year. Biologists study living plants and animals, including vegetation surveys and reptile, amphibian, and mammal projects. Archeological site monitoring is on-going. Air quality, weather, and seismic monitoring stations constantly generate new data.

Short Publications:
Triassic Dinosaurs and Other Animals - June 2006 (PDF 247kb)
Trees to Stone - July 2006 (PDF 411kb)
Geology and the Painted Desert - December 2004 (PDF 1,526kb)
Amphibians - July 2004 (PDF 178kb)
Birds - January 2004 (PDF 192kb)
Grassland - December 2004 (PDF 131kb)
Mammals - July 2004 (PDF 168kb)
Reptiles - July 2004 (PDF 218kb)

Museum Collection
Virtually explore over 200,000 items in the park's museum collection. Petrified Forest National Park has archeological objects from Anasazi, Mogollon, and Sinagua sites; ethnological objects related to Hopi and Navajo cultures; Triassic invertebrate and vertebrate fossils collected from the Chinle Formation; representative geological specimens collected from the Chinle Formation; a photographic archive; and a biological collection.