| Escalante Petrified Forest State Park | |
| Iucn Category: | V |
| Map: | USA Utah#USA |
| Relief: | 1 |
| Location: | Garfield, Utah, United States |
| Coordinates: | 37.7878°N -111.6294°W |
| Area Acre: | 1350 |
| Area Ref: | [1] |
| Elevation: | 5900feet[2] |
| Established: | 1963 |
| Visitation Num: | 73,969 |
| Visitation Year: | 2022 |
| Visitation Ref: | [3] |
| Governing Body: | Utah State Parks |
Escalante Petrified Forest State Park (also known as Escalante State Park) is a state park of Utah, United States, located a half-mile (0.8 km) north of the town of Escalante.
In 1872, Almon Harris Thompson, a member of John Wesley Powell’s survey expedition, explored the Escalante River region and named it after the Spanish explorer Silvestre Vélez de Escalante, inspired by the area's stepped plateaus.[4]
The Wide Hollow Reservoir was constructed in 1954 to provide irrigation for the town of Escalante.[4] The reservoir was renovated in 2010 and has become a popular destination for water sports including swimming, boating and fishing.[5]
Escalante Petrified Forest was officially opened to the public as a state park in 1976. A visitor center was built in 1991, and features displays of plant and marine fossils, petrified wood and fossilized dinosaur bones over 150 million years old (Upper Jurassic Period). In the fall of 2014, A 50 foot (15 m) petrified log from the Morrison Formation was added, allowing visitors to view the entire tree from its roots to the tip.[4]
Escalante Petrified Forest State Park features a diverse range of habitats, including the rare wetland of Wide Hollow Reservoir. The wetland section of the park supports a rich variety of birdlife, with 108 species recorded, including the American kestrel, bald eagle, osprey, and various other waterfowl, raptors, and songbirds.[6] The reservoir is stocked with largemouth bass, crappie, tiger trout, rainbow trout and bluegill.
The broader park environment, dominated by pinyon pine and Utah juniper, also hosts a variety of wildlife. Key species include pronghorn antelope, western chorus frog, coyote, and mule deer. Smaller mammals like the antelope squirrel, other reptiles such as the desert horned lizard, California kingsnake, and sidewinder rattlesnake are also present.[7]
The Sleeping Rainbows Trail is an optional 0.75miles loop off the Petrified Forest Trail. This section is much steeper and requires scrambling and climbing over rocks.[9]
According to local legend, visitors who remove pieces of petrified wood from Escalante Petrified Forest State Park are said to suffer from bad luck, a belief that some attribute to ancient spirits guarding the land.[5] Stories of misfortune related to the removal of wood date back to the 1930s, though the precise origins of these tales are unclear. The park has received numerous letters from individuals who claim to have experienced various misfortunes after taking wood, often returning the pieces along with apologies. In 2014, park manager Kendall Farnsworth reported receiving about a dozen such packages each year,[10] with the accompanying letters describing experiences ranging from relationship problems to health issues and financial troubles. Many letters also mention that the sender’s luck reportedly improved after the wood was returned to the park.[11]