The Black Hills have plenty of attractions. We’ve got national monuments, places to catch an up-close view of wildlife, historic cities and the list goes on and on and on. Well, there is something else that makes the Black Hills a unique location:  Petrifaction.

No, I don’t mean petrified as in fear, but rather in terms of fossilization. Petrifaction (also called petrification) occurs when organic matter is turned to rock over time. Wood is most commonly petrified, but everything, even bacteria, can go through the process.

So, you might be wondering, why would I want to look at solidified trees and vertebrates? I have a feeling you’d probably be a little bit impressed by the Petrified Park in Lemmon.

In the 1930’s, an amateur geologist named Ole S. Quammen, along with the help of about 30 men from the city, gathered fossils from the area and created what soon became 100 conical structures up to 20 feet tall. This included “The Castle,” crafted from petrified wood and masoned with dinosaur and mammoth bones, and many small spires that make the park appear to be within a petrified forest.

Another place you might want to check out would be Badlands Petrified Gardens in Kadoka. The Badlands are known for their abundance of fossils and the Petrified Gardens have a pretty interesting collection.  You can see a dinosaur leg bone, dinosaur tracks, sand crystals, etc.

Anyway, the next time you hear someone recommend you visit some of the state’s solidified trees, you might want to consider it. Check out some of these sites:

Roadsideamerica.com
Reader’s Digest
Waymarking.com
yelp.com
CommunityWalk.com