Mississippi Petrified Forest

Today we traveled north to visit the Mississippi Petrified Forest west of Jackson near Flora, Mississippi.  This was an actual forest and not just a field of petrified logs.  Apparently the petrified logs found here were washed to this location in a huge flood over 1000 years ago.  Poor farming practices in the early 1800s caused extreme erosion and climate aided causing a badlands effect and increased erosion in the areas which exposed the petrified wood in deep valleys. The current forest is privately owned and has been developed in such a way as to minimize the effect of people in the area.  Logs have been left undisturbed in their natural setting with the trail being well marked and a guide issued to guests to explain the history of the petrified wood.  Our pictures show both the petrified logs and the woods growing in the area.  There are many Loblolly Pines which shed many needles to help stop erosion and allow forest regrowth. We noticed many vines including some that appeared to be chocking out the trees.  Some of the vines were a type of wild Muscadine grape. 

signage shows the great weight of the logs turned into stones

entrance

Northern Mockingbird

"Magnet" our tour guide

petrified logs

petrified logs

petrified logs

petrified logs

petrified logs

petrified logs many were rotted in center before petrification

petrified log end

Holes in the wood has caused many of these hollow stones

large petrified log

unusal weeds growing on 1 hillside

looking up at the eroding edge of the hillside

large hollowed out petrified log

too many vines

interesting shot of the overhang caused by erosion

The whole site was very different from the National Petrified Forest which we visited in Arizona a few weeks ago.  The stones(logs) there were much more colourful and there was no actual forest.  Arizona was a very dry, desert area and the exposed logs were simply scattered randomly across an open area.  After our tour of this forest we headed east and have landed for the night in Gadsden which is about an hour past Birmingham, Alabama.  Weather forecast is for thunderstorms tomorrow so we booked the room for 2 nights and plan to just hang out and relax while watching the storm wash the car.  Our next adventure is the scenic route leading to Chattanooga. In a couple of days we will be singing "Pardon me boys....Is that the Chattanooga Choo choo?"