Petrified trees have always interested me. Seeing these living things transformed into stone to last through the ages is a pretty awesome thought. When I recently learned of a magnificent example of a petrified forest in Sonoma County, I had to make the trip and traveling through wine country to get there was just a little bonus.
Passing through a small gift shop attached to the privately held lands starts the tour. A nice trail leads through the woods and signage offers details on the history of the area and the specimens, which Iearn are the largest petrified trees ever discovered. The vast majority of the numerous examples here are an extent subspecies of the giant sequoia, and the stone-rendered trunks of these gargantuan trees give testament to the relationship.
Strolling the entire maintained path, I am able to see about a dozen examples. Some are nearly intact tree trunks that have been excavated, while others have broken into sections over the ages. While I've seen petrified trees before, these specimens are substantially better preserved, larger, and more densely packed. It's a bit of a drive to get over here, but the mile-ish trail through this ancient petrified forest was definitely worth the trip.
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