More than 225 million years ago, trees then growing in Petrified Forest National Park in northeastern Arizona were buried in volcanic ash, mud, or sand and eventually turned to stone.
Today the area, within the Painted Desert, another colorful part of Arizona, contains one of the world’s largest concentrations of petrified wood.
The park covers about 146 square miles and was was declared a National Monument in 1906 and a national park in 1962.
Petrified Forest National Park is named for its large deposits of petrified wood.
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