After driving through the Painted Desert I continued on into the Petrified Forest.  It is so different from any other area I have ever traveled in.  It is illegal to pick up and keep any of the wood from the Petrified Forest.  They are very strict about this.  When I entered into the National Park they asked me if I had any pieces of petrified wood in my RV.   I of course told them no since I didn’t own any.  Upon leaving the park they have an inspection station, where I presume they could inspect your vehicle for petrified wood.  If they do find any they fine you heavily.

These next pics show the different strata layers that create the petrified forest.

This shows what is known as the badlands.  It is very desolate.  Over time there is erosion and out of that comes the petrified wood.  In some spots it is all over.

This was called the Agate Bridge.  The log creating this bridge is a petrified log.  The wood looks like a normal log but is petrified and very heavy.  It looks like rock when you view it at the ends.

This are is known as the Crystal Forest.  There is petrified wood everywhere.

This area is just outside of the Visitors Center.  There is a path you can take that leads you all through these giant petrified logs.  They are every size and shape and very colorful as well.

I really enjoyed my visit to the Petrified Forest.  It is very educational and explains how the trees became petrified.  The visitors centers at both ends of the park were very helpful in answering everyone’s questions.  They even had a ranger that gave lectures to all the visitors.  I found out that there is petrified wood in every state of the US, but this forest is the largest of its kind in the country.