Arizona · National Park trail

Giant Logs Trail Stop #1

in Arizona

Stop 1: How Wood Becomes Petrified A log is petrified when all its original plant material is infilled or replaced by minerals. Approximately 216 million years ago, these trees died and fell into a river. They were buried beneath layers of silt, mud, sand, and volcanic ash, which protected them from decay.

Mineral-laden ground water percolated through the layers, carrying silica from the volcanic ash and other trace minerals. The absorbent dead wood became saturated with these minerals. The silica, or quartz, crystals slowly bonded with the cells of the tree replicating the organic material in perfect detail.

Eventually, silica replaced the wood material. Now this petrified forest is not made of trees, but of stone.

States: Arizona
Trail type: National Park trail
Centroid nearest city: Flagstaff, AZ · 104 mi · ~3.0 hr drive
Centroid coords: 34.8153°, -109.8658°

About Petrified Forest National Park

National Park

This trail is inside Petrified Forest National Park, a national park managed by the U.S. National Park Service. Conditions, road status, trail closures, and reservation requirements are published on the park's NPS page — check it before driving in, especially in winter or during major weather events.

Entrance fee: $25 per vehicle (verify current rate on the park page). An America the Beautiful annual pass ($80) covers entrance to all NPS units.

Official NPS trail page: https://www.nps.gov/places/giant-logs-trail-stop-1.htm

Park homepage: https://www.nps.gov/pefo/index.htm

Plan your hike

Practical notes

Maps + permits: long-distance trails like this often require permits for through-hiking, backcountry camping, or specific sections (especially in National Parks). Check with the maintaining organisation listed above and the relevant land manager before booking travel.

Water + supplies: water sources vary seasonally on most U.S. trails. Carry a filter and consult current trail-condition reports — through-hiker journals (PCT-L, AT Reddit, etc.) and the maintaining organisation publish regular updates.

When to go: hiking seasons vary widely with elevation, latitude, and snowpack. Through-hikers traditionally start the AT in March-April (Springer northbound) and the PCT in late April (Campo northbound). High-elevation western trails (CDT, JMT, Wonderland) generally aren't passable until July.

If you've hiked Giant Logs Trail Stop #1 and have current notes (water sources, trail closures, permit changes), tell us at /contact — we update pages as we learn.