Petrified Forest State Park

Ginkgo Petrified Forest State Park near Vantage, Washington, preserves one of the most diverse ancient forests in North America. More than fifty species of Miocene trees, including ginkgo, sweetgum, redwood, Douglas fir, walnut, elm, and maple, were buried in volcanic basalt about 15.5 million years ago and later exposed by Ice Age flood erosion. The site is a registered National Natural Landmark and Washington State Parks manages it as an interpretive preserve, not a collecting locality.

Collecting petrified wood, rocks, or any natural material inside the park is strictly prohibited. Washington State Parks rules and state law forbid removing trees, plants, minerals, or other natural objects except under specific harvest rules limited mainly to edible berries and mushrooms. Petrified wood is not among permitted harvest items. Park brochures state plainly that wildlife, plants, petrified wood, and all park structures are protected and removal is unlawful.

Visitors should plan to view in place logs along the Trees of Stone Interpretive Trail, study polished specimens in the interpretive center, and photograph rather than collect. Personal petrified wood collecting is possible on nearby federal Bureau of Land Management land in the Saddle Mountains south of Vantage under separate federal rockhounding limits, but the state park boundary itself is viewing only.

Buy a Discover Pass before arrival or at the automated pay station. The one day pass is $10 and the annual pass is $45 as of current Washington State Parks rates.

Start at the Ginkgo Petrified Forest Interpretive Center for exhibits on Ice Age floods, basalt geology, and more than thirty varieties of displayed petrified wood you may touch only in designated displays. Then drive to the Trailside Museum for the 1.25 mile Trees of Stone loop through in place logs under protective covers.

Bring water, sun hat, and camera. Leave hammers, buckets, and rock bags in the vehicle. If you want a collectible specimen, visit the gift shop or legally collect on adjacent BLM land with federal personal use limits, not in the park.

See other Washington collecting areas for sites where removal is permitted.

The petrified forest was discovered during highway construction in the early 1930s, prompting Civilian Conservation Corps development of the Trailside Museum and early protective structures. Wanapum Dam completion in 1963 raised Columbia River water levels and motivated salvage of nearby petroglyphs, some now displayed at the interpretive center. Washington designated petrified wood as the state gem in 1975. The ginkgo discovery gave scientists a rare North American record of that genus in Miocene forests that otherwise resembled modern Pacific Northwest vegetation mixed with now extinct species.

Ginkgo Petrified Forest exists because past visitors stole specimens until the state armored remaining logs. Continued theft and vandalism remain documented management problems. View with eyes and camera only. Report anyone removing wood or carving initials into displays to park staff at 509-856-2290. Even small pieces taken as souvenirs remove context forever from an irreplaceable National Natural Landmark. If you collect legally on BLM land nearby, know your boundary. GPS drift has led collectors to unknowingly trespass into the state park. When in doubt, do not dig.