Date Hiked: June 5, 2008

Distance: 1 mi (RT)
Elevation: 8,400ft
​Elevation Gain: 100ft
​Trailhead Lat/Long: 38 54' 49.75'' N; 105 17' 11.23'' W
Managing Agency: National Park Service
Fee: Yes

Directions (from NPS website): Visitors traveling north/south on I-25: Exit at US 24 West, travel 35 miles to town of Florissant, then follow signs two miles south to the visitor center on Teller County 1. Visitors traveling east/west on US 24: Exit to the town of Florissant, then follow signs two miles south on Teller County 1 to the visitor center. Visitors traveling from the town of Cripple Creek: Follow Teller County Road 1 north for 16 miles.
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The Petrified Forest Loop is a short, easy hike that gives you a good taste of what the park has to offer.  The trail starts from the Visitor Center, weaves through a Ponderosa Pine forest and showcases the fossilized Sequoia tree stumps that make this park so important.  A self-guiding nature walk brochure is available to help interpret the resources featured.  If you only have a few minutes to spend visiting the park, this hike provides a good introduction.