Petrified Trees

I looked for some short nearby hikes we could do and we decided to hike the Dry Creek Petrified Tree Environmental Education Tour that was about 14 miles away.

We drove back I-90 east to Exit 65 and turned onto Tipperary Road 6 miles. 

 

There is not much on Tipperary Road,

 

but it was still beautiful in its own way...

 

...with cattle ranches here and there.

 

The directions said to turn left at the BLM sign and drive 7/10 miles to the parking lot.  The road was a gravel road that looked like it went right into the middle of a ranch, but we eventually arrived at the parking lot (gravel turnaround loop).

 

There was a picnic shelter but the trail information was not very detailed on the bulletin board.

 

We began hiking on the trail.

 

The ground was very dry and there were no trees anywhere...petrified or alive.

 

There were not any people either. 

 

Chuck was beginning to wonder what I had gotten us into now.

 

We reached our first marker:

 

The trail then ventured through some low tumbleweed-like shrubs. 
 

We tapped our walking sticks out in front of us as we walked to scare off any snakes or other creatures.

 

The terrain was almost desert-like in that it was so dry.  We even came across a cactus here and there.

 

We reached our 2nd marker but didn't see any petrified trees yet.

 

Then, a little further on, we reached our 3rd marker...

 

...and a petrified tree log laying on the ground.

 

It looked like a tree but was hard as a rock:  a petrified tree!

 

We came to the 4th marker...

 

and a petrified tree stump...

 

...on which you could actually see the growth rings (double-click the picture to enlarge it if you can't see the rings).

A little further along the trail, I spotted these little yellow daisies struggling to grow...

 

...in this very dry environment.

 

At the 5th marker,

 

we could spot the "red-capped buttes" in the distance.

As we approached, the 6th marker...

 

...we came across more tree stumps.

 

...with growth rings.

 

At the 7th marker,

 

we could see the Big Horn Mountain Range in the background.

As we approached the 8th marker, we could see something a little bigger ahead of us. 

This petrified tree was the biggest one on this trail.  I guess they saved the best for last.

After we crested the hill,

 

we saw the car and the "parking lot" below.

 

On the way out, I heard the bird singing off in the distance.  Isn't he pretty?  I think he is a Western Meadowlark, which just so happens to be the state bird of Wyoming.

 

On the drive back on I-90, we had a clear view of the Big Horn Mountains

 

and the town of Buffalo below.

 

This was a first for us today:  petrified trees that were millions of years old.  Pretty amazing!