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Where to Find Petrified Wood near Vernal, UT

22 of the mapped rockhounding spots within 150 miles of Vernal report petrified wood. The closest is Sweet Water Canyon, about 43 miles out (54 min drive).

Petrified wood is ancient wood replaced cell by cell with silica. It concentrates where volcanic ash buried forests, and weathered pieces collect as float on desert slopes and in washes.

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Every petrified wood spot within 150 miles of Vernal

Types of petrified wood reported near Vernal

Counts reflect how many spots in this radius mention each variety.

Petrified Wood near Vernal FAQ

Where can I find petrified wood near Vernal?+
22 mapped spots within about 150 miles of Vernal report petrified wood. The closest is Sweet Water Canyon in Uintah County, roughly 43 miles away (54 min drive). The full list with coordinates is on this page.
Can I collect petrified wood on public land near Vernal?+
18 of the 22 spots here sit on land mapped as publicly accessible, and 1 is a fee-dig site where you pay for access and keep your finds. Casual hand collecting of common rocks and minerals is allowed on most BLM and Forest Service land with limits set by the local field office; national parks and most state parks are closed to collecting. Confirm current rules with the managing agency before a trip.
How can I tell petrified wood from plain rock?+
Look for wood structure: parallel grain lines, growth rings on cut ends, and bark texture on the outside. Petrified palm shows a distinctive rod-and-dot pattern instead of rings. Plain jasper and chert show none of these, even when the color looks woody.
How far from Vernal do I need to drive?+
The nearest petrified wood spot is about 43 miles out, and the farthest on this list is 147 miles. Most fall inside a normal weekend day-trip radius.

Keep exploring from Vernal

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Petrified Wood in Utah (statewide) →Petrified Wood in Wyoming (statewide) →

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