22 Unforgettable Adventures in National Parks Across America

22. Walking on an Ancient Petrified Forest in Petrified Forest National Park, Arizona

Step into a prehistoric wonderland, where trees that stood over 200 million years ago now lie frozen in time—transformed into stone. Petrified Forest National Park in Arizona is one of the most unique landscapes in the country, where ancient wood has turned into glittering quartz fossils, creating a dreamlike desert filled with rainbow-colored logs. Long ago, this area was a lush, tropical floodplain, teeming with giant ferns and towering conifers. When these trees fell into rivers and were buried in volcanic ash, a process of mineralization began, replacing their organic material with crystals of quartz, iron, and manganese. Over millions of years, the logs took on vibrant shades of red, blue, purple, and gold, turning into the stunning fossilized forests we see today. One of the best ways to explore this surreal terrain is on the Blue Mesa Trail, where eroded badlands and scattered petrified logs create a landscape that looks straight out of a sci-fi movie. The cracked hills are painted in shades of lavender, blue, and pink, contrasting beautifully with the brightly colored stone logs. Another must-visit area is the Crystal Forest, where some of the most spectacular fossilized trees lie glistening with embedded crystals.