Walking amongst ancient trees that have turned into stone over the course of millions of years might sound like the plot of a sci-fi movie, but it’s not. It’s exactly what you’ll be doing when you visit the Mississippi Petrified Forest. This unique hiking trail in Mississippi is an otherworldly experience.

Located in Flora, the Mississippi Petrified Forest is not your typical forest. Sure, it’s filled with trees, but it’s also filled with huge stone logs millions of years in the making.

Not only unique to the state, it’s one of only two petrified forests in the eastern U.S. – the other is in New York.

The stone logs that fill the forest are petrified wood, which is a type of fossilized wood.

In all, there are three types of fossilized wood: petrified wood, mummified wood, and submerged forests.

It takes a long time for wood to turn into petrified wood. The stone formations in the Mississippi Petrified Forest took more than 30 million years to form!

During the slow process, which is called permineralization, wood and bark is slowly replaced by minerals, resulting in rocky formations the same size and shape of the original tree.

Today, visitors can get a close-up view of the ancient stone formations by following a self-guided nature trail.

The 6-block trail meanders through the forest, passing right by the huge stone logs – some close enough to touch.

It’s not just the stone structure that makes the trees special, though.

Estimated to have measured 12 – 15 feet across and hundreds of feet in height, the trees were tremendous!

Along the trail, there’s informative signage, marking points of interest, like Caveman’s Bench.

The most photographed site in the forest, it’s shaped like a bench (hence the name). Visitors are encouraged to sit down and try it out for size.

The trail ends at a museum filled with fossils, petrified wood, and minerals from around the world.

There’s also a gift shop, so you can take a piece of petrified wood home with you.

Your time at the Mississippi Petrified Forest doesn’t have to end once you’ve trekked the trail and visited the museum, though.

Visitors can take part in fun activities, like gem fluming (similar to gem mining). The grounds also include a picnic area as well as a campground.

Mississippi Petrified Forest is open year-round, closing only on select holidays. Have any questions? Call (601) 879-8189. You can also visit the Mississippi Petrified Forest website.

Large rock formations in Mississippi are pretty rare, but they do exist in a few places, including Tishomingo State Park. Nestled in the foothills of the Appalachians, the park boasts a terrain unlike any other in the state and even offers rock climbing!