Mississippi Petrified Forest, Flora MS

Of all the things I saw while I was in the Jackson Mississippi area the Mississippi petrified Forest in Flora MS was by far my favorite.   (here's the link  MS Petrified Forest    ). 
It had a nature trail and a museum and all sorts of interesting geological features to be seen.  I would have been happy with just looking at the petrified wood but then there were other things that got my attention too.

When you first pull up this is what you see.

Just take a closer look at this piece of petrified wood.  Isn't it amazing.  To me there was no doubt at one time this was a log that is now a piece of rock.  And when I see it I'm so curious as to finding out as much about it as I can.

And it just wasn't seeing the petrified wood that made me like it so much.  I was trying to get a picture of one of the features the guide was talking about and got a pretty decent one.

 I was reading about how the red sands in the wall is the "Forest Hill Formation" and it dates back to 36-38 million years ago - The Oligocene Epoch. But on the top of the cliff the tan layer is a "Loess" deposit formed during the Ice age.  The petrified logs are found in the Forest Hill Formation.   And as I was being still reading this something caught my eye -  I realized I was being watched by a fox.  I tried to take a picture but it ran off before I could get my camera focused on it.   Instead I ended up with this image instead. 

I thought this was an interesting area to look at and I really wasn't expecting the fox to come back again only this time it brought a friend along too.  I tried to get a picture of them too but my camera wouldn't cooperate and so I quickly went to my cell phone.  I know these aren't the best in focus photo's but it still was exciting to get any at all- seeing as how these foxes were totally wild and really wasn't expecting me to disturb their habitat. They were also quite far away and I'm surprised I noticed them at all.

 It looked like they talked it over and one was sent to check me out. 

 My cell phone made a clicking sound when I took the photo and that was all that was needed to send it on its merry way.  Its sad that its departing shot was the best one I got.

But I've gotten ahead of  myself.      
When you get to the place you notice there is a nice building that you have to go into.  It's a combination gift shop, restrooms and museum (only you don't get to see the museum until you've paid the nominal fee for the trail).  They give you a guide and say its about 6 city blocks long,  in other words its not very long less than a mile to do.  They have a trail that covers area and they ask that you keep on the trails because the whole area is a conservation area and they are trying to keep things as they were back when the first settlers came there.
    As I read the guide and a little pamphlet I had picked up in the gift shop I found out that for years people were coming to this area and helping themselves to the petrified wood.  It's one of the very few places east of the Mississippi where you can collect it.  It makes great jewelry and other decorative art pieces since it is so hard yet has some interesting features in it too.  The Schabilion's came to the area and realized what was going on and decided to do something about it.  They went ahead and purchased the land and turned it into this registered national natural landmark thus stopping people from simply coming and taking the petrified wood away from its natural surroundings.     They laid out a easy to walk trail trying to keep things as natural as possible by only clearing out the underbrush.  They opened ti to the public on April 1, 1963.  Because they got so many visitors there they eventually put in a campground and added the store/museum too.

Here's the what the trail looks like

And as you walk the trail they have a guide to go with it with these well placed markers so you can see what you are looking at.

In the guide, you found out that this log was unusual because the center of it was decayed and only the outershell was replaced by minerals.  It was petrified during the Oligocene Epoch about 36-38 million years ago. The formation is called the Forest Hill formation and is known by its red sands and silt.   And finally the way they were able to date it to then was because of the soils that originally buried it. 

They start out by showing a cross section of a Sequoia tree since its a conifer and a lot of the petrified wood that is present here were Sequoia like conifers too.

 Here's an end of a log that is across from the 1st marker.  You can see the resemblance to the sequoia that was across from it.

 As you read the guide it explains that most of the trees where trees that grew to the north but that the climate was warmer during that time.  These trees were knocked down (my guess due to storms, - hurricanes and tornadoes) and ended up as driftwood in an ancient river. (this area was also very close to the ocean if not ocean front property during the Oligocene.)  There probably was a log jam for there to be so many and this area must have been a lowland that allowed rapid burial of the logs. More and more sediments were deposited on top of it deeply burying the logs.  They remained buried for a long time and as they were buried the wood was replaced by minerals with the predominate one being silica.  The guide also points out no one knows how long it takes a piece of wood to become petrified.  With time the soils that where over it eventually got eroded away thus exposing them to the surface again in this location.

    There seems to be different species here - fir, maple, sequoia, birch and spurge, and that is why they feel this was the result of a log jam.  That and the way some of the logs have a weathered appearance. 
    There is a big petrified log that is called the "Frog" that shows this weathering. 

'The Frog' at the MS Petrified Forest

 Here's some other pieces that I thought were interesting to see too.

The image above and the one below are both of the same tree but taken at different angles.  This one was interesting because it looks like it was buried standing up but what had happened was it was raised by a living tree growing and moving it with its roots but then the tree died but this one was left. 

Here it is a little bit closer and looking right at it.

 I liked this one because you could really see how the inside was hollowed out and then the outer wood was petrified.  No telling how many critters have made this their home.  

 This one was started to be hollowed out too but didn't go as deep.  What's really interesting about this is you can see it in its natural position and the soil around it weathering away. 

Petrified log with the soil weathering away from it.

 This one is interesting because the outer layer at first looks like bark but then when you look closely at it you realize it isn't. 

 Here's another view of it.  The guide says the outside is the result of rain and wind action working on it.  It points out that in winter water gets into the cracks and with freezing and thawing it causes pieces to break off. 

 This was another one that I thought would make a great home.  One of the things that you notice is how green it is.  That's from the moss and lichens growing on the rock.

The last one is called Caveman Bench - and what makes it so interesting is you can see the log still imbedded in the Forest Hill Formation.

Caveman's Bench - Forest Hill Formation:  MS Petrifed Forest, Flora MS

Here's  some more of the Forest Hill Formation.

Even though I came for the petrified wood I was also fascinated by the loess deposits that could be seen here too.   This is what they called it.

I don't think I would have called it the Badlands but it was still very interesting to see.
Loess are defined as the following (AGI Dictionary of Geologic terms -1976) 'A homogeneous, nonstratified, unindurated deposit consisting predominately of silt, fine sand and/or clay; a rude vertical parting is common at many places.'
Loess are believed to be the result of glaciation where the glaciers have ground up the rocks into a very find powder that then is picked up by the wind and blown away only later to be deposited in a general area together.

This area was a natural high and there was something unique about it (I think the high slowed the winds down just enough so it would settle out) that allowed the loess to be deposited in this area.

I found looking at them was just as interesting as the petrified wood.   It was nice to actually be at a place where I could really look at them.  For years I've driven by them on I-20 and tried to get shots but they never really turned out.  Here I finally got some good ones.
The one thing about the loess it is a good source of clay and is good for making bricks and such in the area. Once you see it you can understand why.

It doesn't take much for it to be eroded away and dug into.

Loess deposits - Mississippi Petrified Forest

 Same area taken at different angles.  The way the sun was playing on it made it look redder when the sun was behind it.

 Here is a closer view of it and you can see how it's a tan color.

A ridge of it outcropping.

 I just thought this was a pretty picture and should be included too. It was so typical of how it looked. Lots of vegetation with an outcrop popping out here and there.    The top is the loess and the bottom Forest Hill Formation.

The trail at Mississippi Petrified Forest, Flora MS

Here's another picture taken that I just liked the looks of it.

Loblolly Pine (Pinus Taeda) @ MS Petrified forest

At the end of the trail is this museum.
I wasn't expecting much since this was more a natural wonder place.  I was so delighted when you had to go through it to get back to the store and the front entrance.   I was very pleasantly surprised.  Then the more I looked at it the more I got impressed with it. I mean really impressed with it. By the time I was done I was like wow!! this is extraordinary!! !   Who ever put this exhibit together truly loved obtaining them and got exquisite samples - some of the best I've ever seen.  The rocks and minerals there were of outstanding quality and was comparable to any major museum exhibit I've seen.  I am assuming its the Schabilion's who obtained them. It's worth the trip just to see that exhibit.
Here's a couple of overview photos' of what they have but you really must go there and see them up close for yourself.

Part of the Museum at the Mississippi Petrified Forest

Here's another wall.  

 There's even more to see than this and you really must see it for yourself.

 Then when you are done you are back in the store with all these lovely rocks for sale.  If you are a true rockhound like I am - its next to impossible not to find one that you've fallen in love with and just have to take home with you- so bring a little extra cash when you visit.

Ref: Mississippi Petrifed Forest - Nature Trail Guide
     In this reference it sites research that has been done on the petrified wood by F. H. Knowlton (1888); E.W. Shaw (1918); L. H. Rapp (1945); George H. Dukes (1959); Virginia Page (1967); Will Blackwell, David Brandenberg and George H. Dukes (1980).

Mississippi Petrified Forest - A Place of Fascination - by Shirl Schabilion