Trees of Stone - Ginkgo Petrified Forest State Park - Part 1 of 3

The story of Ginkgo Petrified Forest State Park Part 1 Beneath the haunting desert landscape of central Washington lie the petrified remains of an achient forest nearly 15 million years old! This is the story of Ginkgo Petrified Forest State Park, part of a land once covered by trees and lush vegetation and then buried under lava millions of years ago. Logs trapped in lakes and sealed against oxygen by molten rock gradually absorbed minerals from the surrounding basalt and turned into trees of stone. The best specimens show every growth ring and tiny detail of the original wood. But even more astonishing than the beauty of these rare petrified trees is the secret they reveal of spectacular geological phenomena perhaps unprecedented anywhere on earth! This video was originally produced by Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission in 1999 and all rights are reserved. For additional information on Ginkgo Petrified Forest State Park or any of the other 120 Washington State Parks, please visit WWW.parks.wa.gov