Spotlight: Escalante - Escalante Petrified Forest State Park

Spotlight: Escalante Petrified Forest State Park was established in 1976 to preserve the thousands of the pieces of petrified wood scattered throughout the area. In addition to petrified wood, petrified dinosaur bones have been discovered from the Jurassic period.

Location: Just north of the town of Escalante, UT, the Escalante Petrified Forest State Park is located at 710 North Reservoir Rd.

Cost: Day use fee - $8; Senior Citizens - $4; an annual Utah State Parks pass - $75
- Paddleboards, canoes, and kayaks are available to rent next to the reservoir for about $15/hour.
- The Wide Hollow Campground costs $19/night.

Time: Open 7:00 am - 10:00 pm (summer); 8:00 am - 10:00 pm (winter); allow 1-4 hours

Description: The visitor center of the park displays various pieces of petrified wood, petrified dinosaur bones, ammonite, and shell fossils.
     There are several trails in the park, but the two most popular ones are the 1-mile loop Petrified Forest Trail, and the 3/4 mile loop Sleeping Rainbows Trail. Along these trails, visitors can find plenty of colorful specimens of petrified wood among the juniper bushes and the remains of an ancient lava flow. It is similar to Petrified Forest National Park in Arizona, but I actually thought that this one was better.
     Adjacent to Wide Hollow Campground is the Wide Hollow Reservoir. You can explore the reservoir by boat, canoe, kayak, or paddleboard.

Rating: 3 1/2 stars (out of 5)

Things You Should Know: - The Sleeping Rainbows Trail is a bit rougher than the Petrified Forest Trail.
- There isn't a lot of overhead shade on this hike, so if you go in the summer, make sure you apply plenty of sunscreen and go in the morning or evening hours.

Nearby: Calf Creek Falls, Spooky Gulch, Posey Lake, Mossy Cave & Waterfall (Bryce Canyon NP)