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All 50 Calistoga Attractions »

Petrified Forest

Petrified Forest Road, Calistoga, CA 94515
707-942-6667
Ranked #32 of 42 attractions in Calistoga
3.0 of 5 stars 32 Reviews
Type: Forests, Geologic Formations
Activities: Walking, Picnicking
Description: A number of huge redwoods in this forest point away from Mount St. Helena, which once erupted violently.
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32 reviews from our community

Visitor rating
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    9
Date Rating
Petaluma, California, United States
Senior Contributor
22 reviews 22 reviews
Reviews in 6 cities Reviews in 6 cities
8 helpful votes 8 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed May 23, 2012 NEW

Visit one of the largest petrified wood places on earth! It's not chunks of petrified wood laying around, it is not a section of trunk that you may or not recognize, but the WHOLE bloody tree! . You can see the trunk, the roots, branches even down to the leaves! and there is not just one or two or 10... More

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Fair Oaks, California, United States
Senior Reviewer
6 reviews 6 reviews
3 of 5 stars Reviewed May 7, 2012

The petrified forest doesn't offer much more than a short stroll through the woods mixed with a little bit of science and history. If you have nothing better to do, why not take a walk and get some exercise on a nice spring day. More

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See 5 more reviews by Trisha B for Calistoga
st. paul
2 reviews
4 of 5 stars Reviewed April 25, 2012

Interesting place, cool to see the wicked looking trees. Nice staff to boot. More

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Gator Nation, FL
Senior Contributor
40 reviews 40 reviews
Reviews in 15 cities Reviews in 15 cities
11 helpful votes 11 helpful votes
4 of 5 stars Reviewed April 5, 2012

This was a great side trip when looking for something to do for a bit after the wineries or with children. It was nice to get outdoors and enjoy a bit of a gentle hike after the indoor tours around the valley. Overall it was interesting and had some interesting valley history associated with it. More

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See 2 more reviews by Tanith13 for Calistoga
Sonoma County CA
Contributor
17 reviews 17 reviews
Reviews in 13 cities Reviews in 13 cities
11 helpful votes 11 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed March 27, 2012

We drive past this attraction two or three times a year and this time my mother n law noticed it and asked if we'd ever stopped there. We had, but it was 15+ years ago and our memories were pleasant but vague. So we turned around and went back. If we'd had a wheelchair with us we would have gone... More

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des moines, Iowa
Senior Contributor
28 reviews 28 reviews
Reviews in 17 cities Reviews in 17 cities
4 helpful votes 4 helpful votes
3 of 5 stars Reviewed March 26, 2012

We went to the Petrified Forest. It was interesting to see the trees-turned-rock as was the other flora around them. It's not terribly exciting and the walk takes about 30 minutes. It's ok but not so dramatic. More

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San Jose, California
Contributor
19 reviews 19 reviews
Reviews in 10 cities Reviews in 10 cities
7 helpful votes 7 helpful votes
3 of 5 stars Reviewed February 10, 2012
2
people found this review helpful

This is one of the more mediocre sites in the area. As other reviewers have mentioned, it's definitely overpriced; you can save $1 with a AAA card. It's a quick, 30 minute or less, walk through the woods to see fallen trees, now stone. The trail is easy to walk, I did it in flip flops. In my opinion, it's... More

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San Francisco, California
Contributor
18 reviews 18 reviews
Reviews in 9 cities Reviews in 9 cities
4 helpful votes 4 helpful votes
2 of 5 stars Reviewed December 31, 2011
1
person found this review helpful

The story of the petrified forest is pretty interesting, but the trees were just....trees...and dead ones at that. The trail took about 30 minutes and we were done. Interesting but definitely not worth the 10 dollar admission fee per person!!! More

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See 4 more reviews by greenfog4 for Calistoga
Petaluma, California
Contributor
14 reviews 14 reviews
Reviews in 12 cities Reviews in 12 cities
9 helpful votes 9 helpful votes
3 of 5 stars Reviewed December 28, 2011
1
person found this review helpful

It's been years since I have been here, but my recollection is that in comparison to other places like this, this one didn't have a lot going for it. More

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Tucson, Arizona
Contributor
15 reviews 15 reviews
Reviews in 11 cities Reviews in 11 cities
5 helpful votes 5 helpful votes
3 of 5 stars Reviewed September 20, 2011
2
people found this review helpful

Hard to believe that when Mt. St. Helens erupted 7 miles Northeast, the blast from the volcano caused these trees to be blown down over 3 million years ago. The trail to see these giants is an easy hike of approximately 1/2 mile. The trail is partially accessible by wheelchair. I would rate trail from moderate to moderately difficult. This... More

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