Petrified Logs Loop Trail

Petrified Logs Loop Trail is an easy 0.3-mile loop past several fenced petrified logs and interpretive panels on the west side of Valley of Fire. It takes about 15–20 minutes to walk, with a little more time if you read the displays. This is a quick stop for the fossils and their story, not a big landscape hike.

At the end of the signed gravel spur, take the path on the right. It follows a low ridge with views south toward red sandstone. The first fenced log appears about a tenth of a mile in, partly buried beside the trail. Farther along, two rectangular enclosures show more exposed wood, followed by another fenced display. The return curves left and climbs a gentle slope; near the lot, a few short paths converge, so keep the parking area as your landmark.

The northern displays show more of the trunks above the desert floor and make the clearest close look. Photograph them from outside the fences; the enclosures protect the fossils.

Interpretive panels explain that floodwaters carried trees from forests miles away and buried them beneath thick deposits. Mineral-rich groundwater filled the wood’s tiny spaces and gradually replaced the organic material while preserving the trunk’s shape. Iron and manganese oxides account for many of the colors. The trees may have been Araucarian pines growing here about 150 million years ago, though that identification is a likelihood rather than a certainty.

Follow the Petrified Logs sign from Valley of Fire Highway and drive about 0.2 mile on the gravel spur to the trailhead parking area. The park entrance fee applies; no separate hiking permit is required. Dogs are allowed on a leash up to six feet. Atlatl Rock’s shaded day-use area and restrooms are a separate nearby stop, not at this loop. The park advises against hiking when temperatures exceed 85°F (29°C).