PETRIFIED FOREST

THIS ANCIENT FOREST IS LOCATED JUST BEFORE CALISTOGA. THIS IS A MAJOR TOURIST ATTRACTION. IT WAS DISCOVERED IN 1807 BY WILLIAM TRAVERS. IT IS OWNED PRIVATELY AND HAS PETRIFIED REDWOOD TREES. IN 1880 IT WAS OWNED BY CHARLES EVANS. THIS FOREST WAS CREATED BY AN EXPLOSION OR MORE OF LAVA FROM NEARBY VOLCANOES. THE GROUND BECAME SATURATED FROM ASH AND SILICA THAT WAS PRESENT IN MOLECULAR FORM. THE SILICA REPLACED WOOD ONE MOLECULE AT A TIME., AND WOOD TURNED INTO SOLID SILICA, QUARTZ, AND SOLID STONE. ONCE STREAMS WASH BROKEN ROCK AND ASHES TO THE SEA, THE VOLCANOES ARE ERODED INTO JUST STUMPS. YOU CAN WATCH THE LANDSCAPE CHANGE TO RUGGED HILLS AND MOUNTAINS OF ASH FLOWS.

THE NATIVE AMERICANS PICK UP SOME OF THE PETRIFIED WOOD TO SEE IF IT CAN BE USED FOR TOOLS, BUT THEY KNOW THE OBSIDIAN FROM MOUNT KONOCTI, MOUNT ST. HELENA, AND BORAX LAKE IS MUCH BETTER TO USE FOR TOOLS.
PETRIFIED FOREST CHARLIE UNEARTHED AN ENTIRE TREE AND BECAME THE GUARDIAN OF THIS FOREST, CHARGING ADMISSION TO VIEW THE TREES FROM 1870 - 1900. OLLIE BOCKE CAME WITH HER HUSBAND IN 1910 TO DEVELOP IT AS A PUBLIC ATTRACTION. SHE ADVERTIZES THE FOREST AND SOON PEOPLE WORLDWIDE CAME TO SEE THIS UNIQUE ATTRACTION AS WELL AS TO VISIT THE HEALING SPRINGS OF CALISTOGA. THERE IS ONLY ONE PINE TREE THAT WAS PETRIFIED. IT WAS 2000 YEARS OLD WHEN IT BECAME PETRIFIED.

PETRIFIED FOREST.ORG