Rocks and Geology Around Las Vegas
 Liz with Scale Tree (Genus Lepidodendron) roots in the stone |
Fossil Plants. Hard to believe when looking around town, but back before dinosaurs, the area around Las Vegas once supported a forest of tall trees. The forest is long gone, but some of the logs were preserved as petrified wood. The best place to see petrified wood around Las Vegas is Valley of Fire State Park, but petrified wood can also be found at Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area below the sandstone cliffs. Petrified wood can be found on BLM land where collecting a small amount for personal use is legal, but don't even think of collecting in conservation areas or state parks. Scale Trees (Genus Lepidodendron) grew in this area during the Carboniferous Period (about 360-300 million-years-ago, and in at least one place, the roots of these 100-ft tall trees can be seen in the rocks. Fossilized roots can be found sticking out of mudstone and sandstone in Gold Butte National Monument. |
Petrified Wood. Around Las Vegas, the best place to see petrified wood is Valley of Fire State Park.
 Petrified wood |
 Petrified wood showing bark beetle galleries |
 Petrified wood at Valley of Fire |
 Petrified wood |
 Petrified wood at Valley of Fire |
 Petrified wood at Valley of Fire |
 Petrified wood at Red Rock Canyon |
 Petrified wood at Red Rock Canyon |
 Petrified wood at Red Rock Canyon |
 Petrified wood at Red Rock Canyon |
 Petrified wood at Red Rock Canyon |
 Petrified wood at Red Rock Canyon |
 Petrified wood at Red Rock Canyon |
 Petrified wood at Red Rock Canyon |
 Petrified wood log with bark beetle galleries? |
 Petrified wood log with bark beetle galleries (close-up)? |
 Petrified wood log with knot hole |
 Petrified wood bark? |
Lepidodendron Roots. Scale Trees (Genus Lepidodendron) grew in this area during the Carboniferous Period (about 360-300 million-years-ago, and in at least one place, the roots of these 100-ft tall trees can be seen in the rocks.
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 Lepidodendron root with dimpled bark |
 Impression of dimpled Lepidodendron bark in stone |
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 Impression of dimpled Lepidodendron bark in stone |
 Impression of dimpled Lepidodendron bark in stone |
Fossil Roots. These fossil roots were found in Gold Butte National Monument. The larger roots were found in cracks in the sandstone, so the trees grew after the sandstone formed.
 Fossil roots in sandstone |
 1/2-inch diameter root in cracked sandstone |
 1/2-inch diameter root in cracked sandstone |
 1/2-inch diameter root in cracked sandstone |
 Small roots in mudstone |
 Small roots in mudstone |
Note: All distances, elevations, and other facts are approximate.
; Last updated 240331
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