State Park · Utah
Escalante Petrified Forest State Park
- Location
- Garfield County, Utah
- Nearest town
- 42.5 miles south of Loa
- Type
- State Park
About Escalante Petrified Forest State Park
A high mesa here once formed part of an ancient floodplain, where floods buried large trees in mud roughly 135 to 155 million years ago. Groundwater later replaced the wood's organic material with silica, turning the buried conifers into stone through permineralization, and erosion has since exposed these petrified logs across the surface. Rock hobbyists sought out the fossilized wood before the park was established. The logs are thought to be conifers carried by a river before settling into the mud and hardening into agate.
Hours, fees, camping, reservations and closures are set by the park and change often. Check the official park site before you go.
Getting there
Escalante Petrified Forest State Park is in Garfield County, Utah, 42.5 miles south of Loa. The Directions button takes you to the park's mapped location; the entrance may be elsewhere, so check the official site for the address to use.
State parks near Escalante Petrified Forest State Park
Within 60 miles, closest first, straight-line. All 46 in Utah →
Facts from Wikidata, checked September 25, 2026. Distances are straight-line.