Mississippi Petrified Forest

Outstanding museum. Really nice nature walk and pamphlet guided tour. Most displays left natural, but clearly worth it. The family was phenomenal in helping us and sharing their love of fossils and minerals. Entry fee more than reasonable. Military discount. We had no idea that there is a petrified forest in Mississippi!

Wonderfully historic place, clean and easy to walk trail. A few hills but not bad. Couple of roots in the trail so keep and eye down. Wide selection of menerals, fossils and crystals and great prices at the gift store. There was a little museum at the end of the trail. Wide variety of fossles and petrified tree samples from all over Mississippi and different parts of the world. Overall a great visit. Theres a campsite/rv parking area attached as well. We already plan to come back and do some camping.

I was passing through on my way between Tennessee and Texas. I spent the night close to Jackson Mississippi. I needed something to do that was pet friendly before riding in a car for 10 hours! This was perfect. Great trail, easy to follow, very pet friendly. Who knew Mississippi had a petrified forest???

This is a very interesting place to visit. There is a short walking trail with an interpretive pamphlet. The museum at the end of your walk is very well done. Many examples of petrified wood and natural minerals. Gift shop has many thing to offer if you are interested in rocks and fossils.

What an amazing place! The trail is beautiful, and they give you a guided map to understand the area. They also have camping grounds where we spent the night, it was beautiful!

Stopped here along a day long road trip along I-20. Well worth the distance and time. Museum and store have loads of interesting rocks. Great souvenirs. The trail with petrified trees was nice and relaxing. Pricing was good. A fun place to visit!

I finally made it! The trail is very easy and short. I am not the most in shape person and was able to do it with no issue. You park in front, go in to the gift shop welcome center and pay. I saw the unofficial tour guide at the end sunning himself and unwilling to be pet. The display area at the end of the trail was very nice. There were several benches to sit throughout the trail. Everything in the gift shop was reasonably priced. I would recommend for anyone in the area! I look forward to coming back!

Paid $7 and was able to go take a nature walk to see tooonnnssss of petrified wood! Would def recommend. Easy short hike. Gift shop had lots of fun rocks. Bought a piece of petrified wood for $4.

What a wonderful place. Quiet, serene, nature all around. Picnic areas. Pet frien The price is perfect at $7pp. A walk through a beautiful area with information kiosks about the Badlands, petrified forest how it came to be. A museum and many items for purchase. Items from $ to $$$$$. There is something for everyone. We stayed at the adjoining campground. Can't go wrong with full hookups.

I finally made it! The trail is very easy and short. I am not the most in shape person and was able to do it with no issue. You park in front, go in to the gift shop welcome center and pay. I saw the unofficial tour guide at the end sunning himself and unwilling to be pet. The display area at the end of the trail was very nice. There were several benches to sit throughout the trail. Everything in the gift shop was reasonably priced. I would recommend for anyone in the area! I look forward to coming back!

I visited the Petrified forest on two occasions and each one was an enjoyable experience. I always learn something new on each visit.

This place is so cool. Even at the end of May when outside temps are warming up, the trail is cool under the tree canopy. I took my nieces and they had a wonderful time. I recommend

Even if you are not a geology buff, you will still probably find this place as amazing as I dd. They have a decent sized parking lot and you will see picnic table, a shelter with more picnic tables under it and some green space. The Forest also has a camping area, but I did not check it out. If you want to visit the forest, which I highly recommend, you will have to enter through the Welcome Center/Gift Shop. The guy that was working there during my visit was friendly and very helpful. You will see some nice petrified rock displays outside of the place that definitely peaked my interest. Inside, there you will find a few displays, a wide assortment of jewelry, rocks and other trinkets. That is also were the restrooms are and where you pay for your self-guided tour which is about $7. They also have an outdoor section of the center where you will see larger rocks that you can purchase, an old gem mine for kids to do and some old equipment displays. And be sure to check out the little room in the back that has glowing rocks in a display case. The first thing you will see when you go through the door that leads to the forest os some bug spray. I highly recommend putting some on. The forest's trail is mostly paved, but there are areas where it it slightly rough and difficult for disabilities to pass through, so they have a bypass section for people with disabilities to take that skips those areas. As I mentioned, the tour is self guided and using the guide that you get when you purchase your admission and the corresponding numbers placed throughout the trail, the tour is easy to follow and very informative. I loved learning and seeing about these prehistoric trees. The trail is about a quarter to half a mile. It took us about 30 minutes to walk. The tour ends in a small Natural History Museum that is basically a room with some bones, fossils, rocks, gems, and a petrified wood of Mississippi map. once you make it through the museum you will end up back in the Welcome Center/Gift Shop. I am so glad that I came here and it is definitely a must visit in Jackson. I enjoyed seeing how the forces of nature have changed this area and the history it has. I highly recommend checking this place out.

On our way back from a trip to Vicksburg, we saw a small sign advertising this. We've got an interest in fossils and rocks, so took a side trip. Glad we did. Never knew anything like this existed so close to Memphis. Entrance fee is cheap ($6 for us old folk). There is an easy self-guided walk to see the petrified wood in situ - takes maybe a half-hour. They have a very nice exhibit hall with unrelated finds - rocks, minerals, fossils, etc from other places, and a large section of such for sale - some very reasonable priced. Recommended.

I liked it well enough for the price (check Groupon). The kids liked it. We arrived unfreshly off a 10 hour drive and it was a pleasant hour+ stop to stretch and see stuff. I'll be honest, it's a bunch of boulders shaped like trees in the forest, but hey, that's what petrified trees look like, right? The museum/gift shop was quite large, but sadly most things in the museum portion weren't from around there (remember, just rocks in the woods). Our coolest memories are of the fireflies in the woods. Probably something most visitors don't see, but it had rained before we arrived, and thundered most of the time we were there. Got very dark near the end of the walk and suddenly fireflies lighting up all over!

Felt a bit slow at first during the walk through. Then bam, there is just one exhibit after another. Beautiful walking trail, peaceful views, worth the trip.

This is a unique place since you do not see many attractions like this at all. The man working there was very nice and answered all our questions. It was a little buggy outside but they offered free bug spray. The trail was very well maintained and it was easy to traverse through the topography. I really enjoyed the indoor exhibit at the end which showed all these different minerals and other natural deposits. I bought some petrified wood earrings which were made in MS so that's a cool keepsake to have!

This was a nice place to visit to get outside and get moving. You get a guidebook and are sent on your way for a self-guided tour. There is a trail with numbered posts and you read about that specific spot. The trail is nice. The path is concrete for about half of the way. It is handicapped accessible for the concrete part. The unpaved area is relatively smooth and easily traveled. There is a lovely visitors center/gift shop which has displays of fossils, petrified wood, and other rock specimens to see and buy as well.

We stopped in on a whim after seeing a sign from the road. I had no idea what a petrified forrest would entail, but it was pretty cool! Basically its a bunch of logs on the ground that have been petrified over time and are hard as stone. After paying the entrance fee of $7 you'll receive a guidebook that gives you facts about each of the numbered points throughout the forest. It would take you about 45 minutes to walk through at a leisurely pace. We came in January, but I imagine the foliage would be beautiful during the warmer months. The gift shop was really interesting and the older gentleman who worked there was very friendly and gave us some recommendations of things to do on our trip.

This is a great chance to see the power of nature up close and personal! We caught a glimpse of this place on our way to Jackson from Cleveland and decided to make the trek back before we headed home to Alabama. It's only about 30 minutes outside of the city so it's the perfect stop to add to your trip if you have the time. It was very easy to find, although the road leading in was in very bad disrepair. When we did make it, we were greeted by a lovely attendant who explained everything we needed to know about the forest. For $7 you get a flyer that goes VERY in depth on the walking trail, a walk through the trail, and admission to a small museum after you finish the trail. You exit the gift shop, walk through the forest, enter the museum and end up back in the gift shop. It took us about an hour to do and the trail is mostly paved so I managed to do it in a dress and combat boots. The trail is marked with about 26 markers that explain how the forest came to be and the real power of nature. It's actually quite fascinating! And I have to mention that we had a friendly guide the entire time, lovingly named Trail Cat. He stayed with us through the entire trail asking for the occasional pet and guiding us to eat trail site. It was a lovely addition to the experience! I have to say that this is worth every penny!

So many memories here! I've been visiting since I was 14 with my grandparents so I go as much as possible now that I'm an adult. Love sharing my experiences to new people who didn't even know we had a petrified forest or a really great gem/crystal shop. My papaw got me into collecting minerals so it's nice to walk in and remember my childhood with him. Everyone who works here is always nice and helpful, always down for a good conversation and sharing stories of the area. If you're traveling into Mississippi, definitely stop here to get that great southern hospitality you always hear about, light refreshments, a nice walk full of rich history and gorgeous petrified wood. At the end of your self tour, there is a really great room full of fossils and such that's only really accessible when you walk though the forest! When you do go, please be respectful of the area and the good vibes others are trying to enjoy, even when they are shopping for new little crystals!

This is a really neat place. You can walk through the Forrest and see petrified trees and wood laying around. They have a trail guide with numbers so you know what you are looking at. They also have a really cool gift shop where you can purchase various rocks and fossils at an affordable price.

Perfect privately owned park in Mississippi close to Jackson and Vicksburg. Wonderful petrified forest and logs in their natural setting. Many logs still in the ground. Nice half mile trail and campground available. $7 They also have an extensive selection jewelry, beads, and rocks, in their gift shop and visitor center

I was excited to explore the Petrified Forest! I was not disappointed. I opted for the Groupon to cover the admission fee. It wasn't a incredibly long trail, which makes it appropriate for the family as well. I also found it inexpensive. It was peaceful and educational. Not crowded when I went around 10am in March. There was a detailed pamphlet provided. Indoor viewing of fossils and items native to Mississippi. A small gift shop with bathrooms was also on location. Service was excellent and the shop keeper offered to answer any questions I may have.

Interesting privately owned park. Worth the entry fee and the time to walk the trail. Employees nice and helpful. There are some very good examples of petrified trees. They have an interesting museum and shop. I didn't check out the other areas of the park. Mosquito spray a must. If you like birds, take your binoculars, there are numerous species present.

Had a great time here today- beautiful nature trail through petrified forest! Friendly staff!!! The gift shop has an amazing selection of stone/mineral! / craft items - immaculate restrooms- self guided tour with well marked items that correspond to a printed guide that is extremely informative-wonderful collection of fossils at end of tour- a few well fed park cats sunning on back porch!!

What a wonderful little gem just a short drive outside of Jackson. My boyfriend and I went here looking for something to do on a nice day that was special to Mississippi. I remember a friend recommended it and I also saw a Groupon deal so we decided to go. It's about a 30min drive north west from Jackson. Plenty of parking. It's a self guided tour and they give you a little brochure to help you learn about the Petrified Forest along the way. The trail is about half an hour to walk through and is dog friendly so we brought our dog. (Be warned that there is a cat on the property if your dog is not good around cats). It really is quite beautiful over there and well worth the trip. They have a little indoor gem display which is quite fascinating. And an excellent gift shop. Go check it out if you need something different to do! And enjoy some of the beauty of Mississippi.

Loved it. A great walk around, people were super friendly. Well worth the stop. Lots of stuff to look at. Nice prices. Searching for gems was fun and well priced

This was a nice little stop for an easy 20 minute trail. I was a experienced a little more for the $7 dollar fee, but it was nicely kept.

This is a nice little detour off the main highway. The gift shop and museum areas are very nice. Items and the tours are reasonable. The nature trail was nice and peaceful except for the sand fly that stalked us, but what are you gonna do? :)

One of my most nostalgic museums growing up. I loved visiting the petrified forest. I remember being fascinated by simple rocks. The gems were the best part of the entire tour. I managed to purchase a few gems to take home with me. The history of Mississippi's vast land and connection with nature can be explored here. Its amazing how even from a certain point in space one is able to see the forestry and greenery in the state.

This was a fun spot to spend a chunk of my Saturday. The trail was probably 1/2 mile or so long and has 26 sights to see (and a booklet to read along at each sight). The trail was neat, but the gift shop/fossil shop was the highlight. It had dinosaur fossils, shark teeth, and every kind of gemstone imaginable. To walk through the trail, you have to pay $7, but honestly it's worth it. The trail is mostly paved (and handicap accessible!), and what isn't paved is sand/dirt and easy to follow (there are fences throughout the entire trail). They have an outdoor auditorium for field trips, as well, and preschoolers get in for free!

A very cool trip not far from Jackson! Definitely worth a visit. The trail is around six blocks long. It is mostly paved, but there is a section that is just sand. There's a guidebook that accompanies the trip that explains everything that you're seeing. Everyone that came with me loved it!

Great day trip and easy walking trail to see one of the natural wonders of the world petrified wood

A wonderful hidden treasure in the middle of nowhere. There's not much to do and this is cool as all get out.

This is such a wonderful park! Having traveled all over the world, I must say I am pleasantly surprised with how beautiful Mississippi is. There is so much to see and do all over the state and the landscape is pure beauty! This forest is so cool! We visited with my 15 year old niece, as well as my adult family members and we could not get enough! Read the history on the website before you visit that tells you how the forest was formed originally. It is a great primer before you visit. There is short, beautiful walking trail through the forest and a Wonderful gift shop and mini museum filled with fossils, minerals, petrified wood, etc. I can't wait to take friends and family back to this awesome wonder of nature!

Stayed here in the campground July 3rd to 6th while visiting friends close by. A small privately owned park that offers 11 RV sites in a wooded area (not very level) with 50 amp full hookups, tent camping, pets welcome, gemstone fluming, picnic area, fossil museum displays, an easy walking nature trail about 6 city blocks long and a gift and rock shop. Kind of rough RV sites but ok and nice people.

Awful. Truly awful. I went with 3 other people (including a 4 year-old) and we were all dying of boredom. Don't waste your time going there.