The Petrified Forest

Booking Details

There are a number of small private enterprises, run by industrious locals, that have popped up on the side of the road advertising the Petrified Forest - these are not the legitimate site which is very obviously sign posted on the side of the road with official signage. No bookings are necessary.

The Petrified Forest is found 40 kilometres west of the town of Khorixas and consists of a number of 300 million year old tree trunks. Proclaimed a National Monument in 1950 the trees were deposited in the area by a massive flood that occurred about 250 million years ago. The tree trunks were deposited in a silica rich environment where there was little to no oxygen. Over time the silica molecules replaced the wood molecules petrifying or fossilizing the tree trunks. Visitors to the site are guided by a local guide and will be able to see approximately 50 tree trunks - the biggest one being 30 metres long, as well as various Welwitschia plants.