Black Forest Bed

region, Arizona, United States

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June 22, 2026

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The Black Forest Bed is a geological formation located within the Painted Desert in Arizona, United States. This area is known for its brilliantly colored shales, marls, and sandstones, displaying vivid bands of red, yellow, blue, white, and lavender. The Black Forest Bed itself contains petrified trees dating back to the Triassic period, approximately 213 million years ago. This region is characterized by its arid climate, with elevations ranging from 4,500 to 6,500 feet. The Painted Desert, which encompasses the Black Forest Bed, is a section of high plateau extending southeast from the Grand Canyon.1

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Painted Desert
Notable there is the Black Forest Bed, one of four remarkable areas of petrified trees of Triassic age (i.e., dating from about 252 million to 201 million years ago). The rocks in that formation are some 213 million years old. Navajo and Hopi reservations occupy a large part of…
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Notable there is the Black Forest Bed, one of four remarkable areas of petrified trees of Triassic age (i.e., dating from about 252 million to 201 million years ago). The rocks in that formation are some 213 million years old. Navajo and Hopi reservations occupy a large part of…
Read More

Petrified Forest National Park
Of note is the Black Forest Bed in the park’s northern portion. Other sections of the park (Blue Mesa and Jasper, Crystal, and Rainbow forests) are filled mostly with fossilized leaves, plants, and broken logs. Some animal fossils also have been found, including those of dinosaurs and phytosaurs that…
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Of note is the Black Forest Bed in the park’s northern portion. Other sections of the park (Blue Mesa and Jasper, Crystal, and Rainbow forests) are filled mostly with fossilized leaves, plants, and broken logs. Some animal fossils also have been found, including those of dinosaurs and phytosaurs that…
Read More