Escalante/Petrified Forest State Park

Welcome to Escalante Petrified Forest State Park located in magnificent southern Utah not far from Bryce Canyon National Park.

Park History: Like it's name indicates Escalante/Petrified Forest State Park boasts a unique history. The fossils located inside the park include petrified wood and dinosaur bones over 100 million years in age. In 1872 a man by the name of Almon Harris Thompson, who was traveling with John Wesley Powell's survey party, became the first known white man to explore the Escalante River. He named the area after the explorer Escalante because of the staircase shaped plateaus that surround the park. In 1954 the Wide Hollow Reservoir was constructed in order to provide water for the nearby town of Escalante. In 1991 the park's visitors center, which displays many fossils, was built.

For the lover of the outdoors this park boasts a lake stocked with bluegill and rainbow trout, two nature trails, and so much more. Come on out and explore!