The petrified wood in Jasper Forest was once encased in bluffs in this area. When erosional forces removed the softer rocks, the petrified wood tumbled and accumulated on the valley floor. Once filled with fallen logs, Jasper Forest was plundered in the late 19th and early 20th centuries by commercial collectors seeking petrified wood to sell as souveniers.
Completion of the nearby railway line in 1882 provided early travelers - and relic hunters - easy access to Jasper Forest. Many tons of petrified wood were carried away in railway cars. Outrage against Jasper Forest's devastation contributed to the establishment of the Petrified Forest as a National Monument in 1906.
Opposite Jasper Forest, a short road leads to agate bridge, a long complete unbroken log lying over a stream bed.
Directions
If you enter the park from the north, stay on the main road for about 17.5 miles and you will find Agate Bridge to your left. Half a mile further down the road, Jasper Forest Road is to your left.
