Mississippi Petrified Forest

The Mississippi Petrified Forest, near the town of Flora in Rankin County, is one of the most geologically remarkable sites in the eastern United States — the only petrified forest in the eastern US, where 36-million-year-old tropical-forest trees were buried in a river deposit during the Eocene epoch, slowly silicified (replaced molecule by molecule with silica from groundwater) over millions of years, and now exposed by erosion as scattered stone logs up to 10 feet in diameter in a Mississippi ravine.

The logs — now solid stone but preserving the original wood structure down to the individual rings and cellular detail — represent a subtropical forest that grew here in the Eocene, when Mississippi had a tropical climate and was covered by lush forests. A National Natural Landmark and a privately operated site with a museum and nature trail, the Mississippi Petrified Forest is one of the South’s most unusual geological discoveries. It is a treasured geological icon of Mississippi.

The Mississippi Petrified Forest is enjoyed by walking the 0.25-mile self-guided nature trail through the ravine where the petrified logs are exposed (the trail loops past the largest and most impressive logs, with informational signs explaining the petrification process and the ancient forest), visiting the on-site museum (with displays on petrification, the Eocene Mississippi environment and fossil specimens), browsing the gift shop (which sells small petrified wood specimens and geological gifts), and photography of the extraordinary stone logs. The geological wonder of the petrified logs is the singular draw.

The Mississippi Petrified Forest is a year-round attraction (the logs are geological features, visible and impressive in any season). Spring and fall offer the most comfortable temperatures for the trail walk. Summer is hot and humid; the trail is short (about 0.25 miles) and mostly shaded. The site is particularly photogenic after rain, when the wet stone surfaces of the logs catch the light beautifully. Any season is fine; spring and fall are the most comfortable for the outdoor trail.

The petrified logs of the Mississippi Petrified Forest were known to local people and apparently to Native Americans (some logs appear to have been worked for stone tools) for generations before their geological significance was understood. The site was recognized as a petrified forest in the early 20th century and was designated a National Natural Landmark by the National Park Service in 1966. The site has been privately operated as an attraction since, with a museum and nature trail. The Mississippi Petrified Forest preserves this extraordinary geological feature, a unique geological and natural heritage of Mississippi.

The petrified logs at the Mississippi Petrified Forest are the remains of tropical forest trees (including species related to modern fig trees, magnolias and other subtropical plants) that grew in Eocene-epoch Mississippi about 36 million years ago, when the state had a tropical climate and was near sea level in a warm, wet lowland. A river flood buried the logs in sand and gravel; groundwater rich in silica slowly replaced the organic wood material molecule by molecule with silica (petrification), preserving the cellular structure but converting the wood to stone. Later erosion exposed the petrified logs. The Eocene river deposit, the silica-rich groundwater and the subsequent erosion created the petrified forest.

The Mississippi Petrified Forest site is a small, private natural area with the natural diversity of the central Mississippi ravine environment — deciduous forest birds (woodpeckers, warblers, thrushes in the forest around the ravine), white-tailed deer, wild turkeys, box turtles, and the typical small mammals and reptiles of the central Mississippi piney hills. The main draw is geological; the natural setting adds pleasant context.

The Mississippi Petrified Forest natural area is a small but significant geological heritage site, set in a central Mississippi ravine forest. The 36-million-year-old petrified logs are a geological feature of continental significance (the only petrified forest in the eastern US) and a record of the ancient Eocene ecosystem of Mississippi. The site is privately managed; the forest and ravine are maintained. Protecting the petrified logs (irreplaceable and extremely slowly formed) and the surrounding natural area sustains this unique geological heritage.

The Mississippi Petrified Forest holds a treasured place among the geological icons of the eastern United States — the only petrified forest in the eastern US, preserving 36-million-year-old stone logs of the ancient Eocene tropical forest of Mississippi, a startling reminder of how different Mississippi’s geology and climate once were. A National Natural Landmark and a private attraction, the Petrified Forest is one of Mississippi’s great geological wonders. It is a cherished natural and geological icon.

The Mississippi Petrified Forest is near the town of Flora in Rankin County, about 25 miles north of Jackson (the state capital), off Mississippi Highway 22. The site is privately operated; an admission fee applies for the trail and museum (check the site for current rates and hours). Flora has limited services; Jackson (25 miles south) has full services. The site is open year-round (check for seasonal hours). Check the Mississippi Petrified Forest website for current admission fees, hours and conditions before visiting.

The Mississippi Petrified Forest is privately operated and protected as a National Natural Landmark. The site management requests that visitors stay on the designated trail and do not touch or sit on the petrified logs (the oils from hands can accelerate surface degradation), do not remove any petrified wood or rock (a federal offense at a National Natural Landmark), and protect the fragile ravine environment. The petrified logs are irreplaceable — formed over 36 million years and exposing only now — and require careful stewardship. Stay on the trail, don’t touch, and don’t remove anything.

The Mississippi Petrified Forest is a well-maintained, safe attraction with a short, easy trail. The main cautions are watching footing on the ravine trail (which can be uneven), protecting children from climbing on the petrified logs (they are geological features and can be slippery), and being aware of Mississippi heat and humidity in summer (the trail is short but carry water). Snakes may occasionally be present on the ravine trail; watch where you step. Respect the logs, the heat and the ravine trail footing.

Admission fee required. Do not touch or remove any petrified wood (federal protection applies to National Natural Landmarks). Stay on the designated trail. Do not sit or climb on the logs. Photography for personal use is permitted. Follow all posted site rules. Check the Mississippi Petrified Forest for current fees and hours before visiting.

The city of Jackson (Mississippi’s state capital, about 25 miles south, with the Mississippi Museum of Natural Science — which has excellent displays on Mississippi geology and natural history — and the Mississippi Civil Rights Museum), the town of Flora, and the central Mississippi piney hills define the region. The Mississippi Petrified Forest and the Mississippi Museum of Natural Science in Jackson make a superb geology-and-nature day combination. The Petrified Forest is a remarkable natural detour near Jackson, easily added to any central Mississippi itinerary.

Walk the trail slowly and read all the interpretive signs — the story of how a tropical forest became stone over 36 million years is fascinating and the signs explain it clearly, making the geological wonder comprehensible. Visit the museum before the trail to understand what you’re about to see. Look carefully at the log surfaces for the preserved wood grain, growth rings and cell structure in the stone — the preservation is extraordinary. Combine with the Mississippi Museum of Natural Science in Jackson for a full day of Mississippi geology and natural history. Come in spring or fall for the most comfortable trail walk.