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Large natural reserve showcasing petrified wood & fossilized dinosaur bone exhibits.
Escalante Petrified Forest State Park is a 1,400-acre park about 2 miles northwest of the town of Escalante, just off Scenic Byway 12. It's not part of the national monument — it's a Utah State Parks property with its own distinct character: petrified wood scattered across open terrain, a stocked reservoir for fishing and paddling, and a campground. The park is roughly 44 miles east of Bryce Canyon National Park, making it a logical add-on for anyone driving the full length of Byway 12.
The park contains an estimated five and a half million tons of petrified wood — fossilized trees buried in ancient floodplains and preserved by volcanic ash over millions of years. Two hiking trails cover the main deposits:
Do not remove petrified wood — it's federally protected and removal is illegal. The visitor center displays petrified dinosaur bones, ammonite fossils, and shell specimens that give context to what you're seeing on the trails.
The reservoir adjacent to the park was built in 1954 for irrigation and is now fully stocked with rainbow trout and bluegill. Fishing, kayaking, and non-motorized boating are all permitted. It's an unusual amenity for a state park in southern Utah's desert terrain — bring a rod if fishing interests you, or a kayak if you want a calm paddle with canyon views.
The on-site visitor center has exhibits on geology and fossils. A campground provides overnight options with basic amenities; check Utah State Parks for current site availability and fees.
The park's central draw is the petrified wood itself — an estimated five and a half million tons of fossilized trees spread across the landscape, remnants of ancient forests buried by floodplains and preserved through volcanic ash over millions of years. The two hiking trails give you the most direct access: the Petrified Forest Trail winds through lava flows and juniper terrain, while the Sleeping Rainbows Trail branches off to the densest cluster of colorful petrified logs in the park. Colors in the logs range across reds, oranges, and purples — the result of mineral replacement that happened as the wood fossilized. Inside the visitor center, you'll find petrified dinosaur bones, ammonite fossils, and shell specimens that provide geological context for what the trails show on the ground. Wide Hollow Reservoir adds a different kind of scenery: a calm body of water ringed by canyon terrain, open to fishing and non-motorized boating.
The park sits about 2 miles northwest of the town of Escalante, just off Scenic Byway 12, making it easy to reach without a long detour. An entry pass is required for state park visitors. A campground on-site provides overnight options if you want more than a day visit — check Utah State Parks directly for current site availability. The visitor center is the best first stop: exhibits on geology and local fossils set the stage for both trail loops. If you plan to fish or paddle Wide Hollow Reservoir, bring your own gear; the reservoir is stocked with rainbow trout and bluegill and permits non-motorized watercraft.
1,274 reviews
in the last week
Went expecting a similar experience to the Petrified Forest in Arizona and boyyyy were we disappointed… very minimally scattered petrified pieces of logs… hard to spot. We did not download the app for the audioguide so maybe that would have made a difference- don’t really know.
in the last week
a week ago
Beautiful lake and nice campsites.
a week ago
I only saw the signs posted on highway 12 and decided I'd go check it out. I went for the big draw of the park, the hike. I technically went on two trails, the petrified forest trail (its fine, there are some good pieces of wood) and the extension, sleeping rainbows trail (absolutely incredible). If you're a geology person the petrified wood is absolutely incredible. So many museum quality pieces out here. There are pieces that must weigh a literal ton or more. Sleeping Rainbows is a reference to the buried colorful pieces of petrified wood. That trail extension is really the shining star of the park. The fee was $10. The hike is moderate to strenuous depending on your physical ability. The time comittment was pretty minimal (1-2 hours) you can go faster but the purpose of this hike is to stop and admire all of the pieces of petrified wood. I didn't check out any other aspects of the park but I feel like I got more than my moneys worth. Looks like it would be a good place to pull in an rv and camp with children.
a week ago