Giant Logs Trail, Hiking trail in Petrified Forest National Park, US
Giant Logs Trail is a short paved walking route at Petrified Forest National Park that lies behind Rainbow Forest Museum and features numerous tree logs transformed into colorful quartz formations. The path includes stairs, benches, and interpretive signs along the way to help visitors understand how these specimens formed.
The petrified logs originated during the Triassic period around 200 million years ago when forests instead of desert covered this landscape. Over millions of years, minerals accumulated within the tree cells creating the colorful stone replicas visible to visitors today.
The Rainbow Forest Museum near the trail presents geological exhibits and chronicles human activities from ancient times through present-day in this region.
This short route is fully paved making it accessible to most visitors, though some stairs require careful footing. Water stations and shaded seating areas are placed throughout, which is helpful during hot desert conditions.
Groundwater leached minerals from river sediments and volcanic ash that then replaced wood matter cell by cell, gradually transforming trees into stone replicas. This chemical process happened so slowly and completely that it preserved even fine details like tree rings within the finished specimens.
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