Conditions Right Now
Why Go
The petrified wood here is not laid out along a flat path. You climb to get to it, on a one-mile loop that crosses old lava flows and passes thousands of pieces of wood turned to stone. For more of it, take the Sleeping Rainbows spur off that loop, three quarters of a mile and considerably steeper, with real scrambling over rock. Down at the bottom, Wide Hollow Reservoir was dug in 1954 to irrigate Escalante and now holds stocked rainbow trout and bluegill.
Do this: Petrified wood trail, swimming, fishing, paddleboards
Family note: Treasure-hunt vibes (look, don't take!)
Fees and hours: stateparks.utah.gov
Yes, You Can Fish Here
This park has fishing. Bring the loadout:
Closest waters: Wide Hollow Reservoir (Fishing, 0 mi) · Boulder Mountain Lakes (Fishing, 20 mi) · Otter Creek Reservoir (Fishing, 34 mi) · Sevier River (Upper) (Fishing, 44 mi)
Build Your Day
Add to the trip: Lower Calf Creek Falls (Hike, 12 mi) · Calf Creek Campground (Camping, 12 mi) · Zebra Slot Canyon (Hike, 17 mi) · Singletree Campground (Camping, 26 mi)
Quick Answers
- What is there to do at Escalante Petrified Forest SP?
- Petrified wood trail, swimming, fishing, paddleboards
- Is Escalante Petrified Forest SP good for kids?
- Treasure-hunt vibes (look, don't take!)
- Why visit Escalante Petrified Forest SP?
- It is the rare park where the geology and the swimming sit in the same place. A one-mile loop at 5,900 feet climbs past thousands of petrified logs, a 50-foot specimen stands at the visitor center, and Wide Hollow Reservoir at the base is stocked with rainbow trout and open to swimming.