Fossil Forests of the Yellowstone National Park

A scientific account surveys the remarkable concentrations of petrified trees preserved in volcanic deposits within Yellowstone, contrasting these upright, in-place fossil forests with transported assemblages found elsewhere. It explains their occurrence along features such as Specimen Ridge and the Lamar River, describes the state of preservation—mostly stripped trunks standing where they were buried—and interprets the volcanic burial processes, stratigraphic relationships, and distribution across the park. The work combines field description, illustrative photographs and figures, and discussion of the probable age, botanical identifications, and geological context to reconstruct the ancient forest environments and their preservation.