The fallen trees in Petrified Forest National Park are 225 million years old, surrounded by land where dinosaurs once roamed and humans eventually settled. Wind and water covered the fallen trees with sediment, they crystallized into quartz over time, and have become shiny, brilliant fossils that sparkle in Arizona’s desert sun.

Dead trees aren’t the only thing to see: hike through the Painted Desert, see colorful badlands in the Blue Mesa area, drive Historic Route 66, and check out the Rainbow Forest Museum to name a few.

The park is filled with plant and animal fossils but it’s rich in human history as well: the park is filled with archaeological sites and petroglyphs from Navajo, Apache, and Puebloan origin.