Mississippi Petrified Forest

Mississippi Petrified Forest
Mississippi Petrified Forest
	Map of Mississippi
Location	Madison County, Mississippi
Nearest city	Flora
Coordinates	32°31′15″N 90°19′23″W / 32.52073°N 90.32296°W
Designated	1965

Mississippi Petrified Forest is a petrified forest located near Flora, Mississippi, in the United States. It is privately owned and open for public visits. The forest is believed to have been formed 36 million years ago when fir and maple logs washed down an ancient river channel to the current site where they later became petrified.^[1] It is one of only two petrified forests in the eastern United States, the other being Gilboa Fossil Forest in New York. It was declared a National Natural Landmark in October 1965.^[2]^[3]

The site features a museum with examples of petrified wood found in every state and from other countries. The samples include a variety of plant materials, including leaves, fruits, cones and bark. Other fossils and fossil casts are on display, including dinosaur footprints, whale bones and turtle shells.

References

^ "National Natural Landmark Summary". National Park Service. February 5, 2004. Retrieved 2009-03-30.
^ "Mississippi Petrified Forest". Mississippi Petrified Forest official site. Retrieved 2009-02-28.
^ "20 New Landmarks Approved by U.S." The New York Times. December 5, 1965. Retrieved 2009-03-15.