Petrified Forest

A visit to the fossilized tree trunks is equally absorbing. The stone ‘trees’ lying on the ground are so well preserved they seem like logs. The Petrified Forest consists of at least 50 trees which are between 240 & 300 million years old.

Here you will also find one of the world’s botanical curiosities, the strange-looking Welwitschia. Although it does not resemble a tree at all, the Welwitschia is nevertheless classified as one, & much of its stem is underground. Only 2 leathery leaves of up to 8m long & 1,5m wide are produced on the gnarled stem, but the leaves are shredded by searing winds & extreme temperatures into a tangled mass, creating the impression of a multitude of leaves.