From the Mississippi River on the west to the Wabash River on the east, and from Wisconsin in the north to Kentucky in the south, Illinois offers hidden treasures for rock enthusiasts. Among these, petrified wood stands out as a fascinating find.

This article reveals the top 7 spots to discover petrified wood in the Prairie State. We’ve done the legwork, scouring the state to pinpoint the best locations.

Our research saves you time and effort, ensuring you’re looking in the right places. Let’s begin!

Petrified wood you can find in the US

In the United States, several types of petrified wood can be found, each with unique characteristics based on the original tree species and the minerals involved in the fossilization process. Here are some of the types you’ll be able to find.

Araucarioxylon

Found in the Petrified Forest National Park in Arizona, this is one of the most famous types of petrified wood. It comes from an extinct species of conifer. As Arizona’s state fossil, Araucarioxylon holds a special place in the state’s natural history.

These trees once formed vast forests during the Late Triassic period, about 225 million years ago. The vibrant colors in this petrified wood come from minerals that replaced the original tree material over time.

Metasequoia

Often referred to as dawn redwood, this type of petrified wood can be found in various parts of the U.S., including the Pacific Northwest. Metasequoia was once thought to be extinct until living trees were later discovered in China.

Furthermore, its fine grain and reddish-brown color are characteristic features.

Palmoxylon

This petrified wood originates from palm trees and is often found in the Gulf Coast states like Texas and Louisiana. Recognized as the state stone of Texas, Palmoxylon is abundant and holds cultural significance.

The wood’s unique speckled or dotted pattern comes from the vascular bundles of the original palm tree. These fossils date back to the Cretaceous period, when the area was tropical and teeming with life.

Taxodium

Also known as bald cypress, this petrified wood can be found in the southeastern U.S., particularly in areas that were once swampy. Taxodium wood is often found in places that were ancient swamps, where these trees thrived millions of years ago.

The wood is durable and shows intricate grain patterns, with growth rings and knotholes that tell the story of its long history. It’s a fascinating glimpse into the wet environments that once dominated the Southeast.

Sequoioxylon

Petrified wood from ancient sequoia trees, found in places like California, where sequoia forests once thrived. These trees are the ancestors of the giant sequoias that still stand in California today.

The petrified wood is notable for its large, straight grain and reddish color, reflecting the immense size and age of the original trees.

Ginkgoxylon

Petrified wood from ancient ginkgo trees, which can sometimes be found in states like Oregon and Washington. Ginkgo is one of the oldest tree species on Earth, with fossils dating back over 200 million years.

Ginkgo petrified wood often has a light color and may show patterns similar to the fan-shaped leaves of the living ginkgo.

Dicotyledonous Wood

Found across various states, this type of petrified wood comes from broadleaf trees, making it more common and varied in appearance. You can spot dicotyledonous wood by the distinct vessels and growth rings that indicate seasonal changes.

This type of petrified wood is often found in regions that were once temperate forests, offering clues about the diverse plant life that existed millions of years ago.

Piceoxylon

Petrified wood from ancient spruce trees, commonly found in areas like Wyoming and Montana, where coniferous forests once thrived. Piceoxylon is known for its straight grain and pale color, often showing growth rings that tell the tree’s life story.

These trees were part of the ancient boreal forests that covered large parts of North America during cooler periods.

A Quick Request About Collecting

What Rough Petrified Wood Looks Like

Most of the photos you find of petrified wood are pieces that have been cut and polished. That is certainly useful but isn’t super helpful once you are out in the field. This is what you should look out for once you start hunting:

Exteriors like this

Every type of petrified wood has a different exterior and pattern but this is a good starting point on what to look for.

Texture and grain patterns

One of the most distinctive features to look for is the texture and grain patterns. Petrified wood often retains the original structure of the tree, including the grain, knots, and even growth rings. These patterns can appear similar to modern wood but are typically more rigid and fossilized.

Examine the surface for any linear patterns or striations that indicate the original wood grain. The texture may feel smoother or more polished in certain areas where mineralization has created a glassy effect.

Coloration and mineralization

The color of petrified wood can vary significantly due to the minerals that replaced the organic material during the fossilization process. Common colors include shades of brown, red, yellow, orange, and black.

Some pieces might even exhibit multiple colors in intricate patterns. These colors are often more vivid and diverse than those found in regular rocks. When inspecting potential petrified wood, look for these distinct and varied hues, which can indicate the presence of different minerals such as silica, iron, manganese, and others that contributed to the petrification process.

Bark and exterior features

Another telltale sign of petrified wood is the presence of bark impressions or external textures that resemble tree bark. These features are often well-preserved and can include the rough, fibrous texture of bark, knots, or other surface irregularities typical of natural wood.

The exterior of rough petrified wood may also have a weathered appearance, with cracks and fractures that occurred as the wood fossilized over millions of years. Look closely for these natural wood features, as they can be a strong indicator that you have found a piece of petrified wood.

Weight and density

Petrified wood is typically much heavier and denser than regular wood due to the mineralization process. When rockhounding, pick up the specimen to feel its weight. Even small pieces of petrified wood will feel significantly heavier than an equivalent-sized piece of non-fossilized wood.

This increased density is due to the replacement of organic material with minerals, making petrified wood feel more like a rock than wood. Comparing the weight and density of your find with known samples of petrified wood can help confirm its authenticity.

General Areas To Try First

Before we get into the specific places you should be looking we wanted to give you some more general advice. Once you get to your hunting area you should head straight for these areas if you want to have the best results:

Lakeshores

Lakeshores are like natural garbage cans because all things wash up and get left there over time. That includes wood that has turned to stone. As the water rises and falls, it carries sediment and rocks. It also takes the fossilized remains of trees from long ago.

Most lakeshores have a variety of rocks and minerals, which makes them an excellent place for petrified wood to grow and thrive. You’ll find a nice mix of sedimentary and volcanic rocks, the best sites for preserving wood fossils.

Roadcuts

When building roads, parts of the ground are often cut away to make a smooth path. The magic happens when the road cuts through layers of rock and soil. Petrified wood is often buried deep underground, and roadcuts let us see these underground wonders.

As workers blast through the rock layers, they accidentally find petrified wood that has been there for hundreds of years. Petrified wood is easy for collectors to spot because the exposed rock layers of roadcuts make it easy to see its unique patterns and colors.

Streams and creeks

Streams and creeks can move loose sediment away, which can reveal old wood that has turned to stone. As the water moves around, it exposes small pieces or even more significant amounts of petrified wood that have settled on the streambed.

Streams and creeks are more accessible for collectors because they are not as big. You can easily walk along their banks, jump from rock to rock, and look for petrified wood at the water’s edge.

River beds

Riverbeds are excellent for finding petrified wood due to their unique geological and environmental conditions. Rapid burial by sediments like sand, silt, and mud protects fallen trees from decay, initiating the fossilization process.

Mineral-rich waters flowing through rivers facilitate the replacement of organic material with minerals such as silica, turning wood into stone. Over time, erosion exposes these buried treasures, making them accessible for discovery.

This dynamic environment, with constant sediment deposition and mineral infiltration, creates ideal conditions for the formation and eventual exposure of petrified wood.

The Best Locations For Finding Petrified Wood in Illinois

Exploring the top places in the state can significantly boost your chances of finding crystals. By focusing your search on these well-regarded locations, you’ll be well on your way to uncovering some of the state’s hidden gems.

The tools every petrified wood hunter will need

When you're out looking for petrified wood having the right tools for the job is really going to make or break your success. You don't need a lot for most trips but there are a handful that are critical and will make your life a lot easier.

We get asked a lot about the equipment we use. Over the years we've found a handful of tools that we recommend to both new and experienced petrified wood hunters which we outline in great detail in our complete rockhounding tools and kit guide. These are quality options that also happen to be relatively inexpensive.

Below are the basic tools that make your life so much easier and save you a ton of time. Check out the full guide to see everything we recommend bringing. One quick note, as an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases but we try very hard to only recommend gear we would use ourselves and often recommend brands you can't find on Amazon.

At a minimum you should have:

1 - Sturdy rock hammer: The Estwing Rock Pick is our standard

2 - Rugged chisels: Try Kendo' 3-piece Chisel Set

3 - Compact shovel: The Koleiya 28-inch shovel works well

4 - Rock screen pan: The Wazakura Soil Sieve Set fits the bill

5 - Eye protection: DeWalt Safety Glasses are cheap and comfortable

6 - Head protection: Malta's Safety Helmet has been our go-to

7 - Jewelers lens with at least 20x magnification: Jarlink's Jewelers Loop is perfect

The petrified wood-finding books that we use most

There are also a few books that have been extremely helpful in the search for gems. These books have great recommendations and tips:

National Audubon Society Field Guide to Rocks and Minerals: North America 

Southwest Treasure Hunter's Gem & Mineral Guide 

Earth Treasures: The Southwestern Quadrant 

We provide links to find these tools on Amazon but some can also be found at your local hardware stores. For more recommendations check out the link to our full tool guide above.

Fayville Area

Fayville is located in the southern part of Illinois along the Mississippi River and it’s a great place for rockhounding, particularly for petrified wood.

This unincorporated community offers a unique geological setting characterized by rich alluvial deposits and sedimentary rock formations shaped by the river’s historical flow.

The nearby creeks and riverbeds serve as natural collectors, where water has transported various geological materials, including potential specimens of petrified wood.

Rockhounds can explore the gravel bars along the Mississippi River, where erosion may reveal hidden treasures. The flat terrain and proximity to the river make Fayville an accessible spot for enthusiasts looking to find precious stones.

Mazonia-Braidwood State Fish and Wildlife Area

The Mazonia-Braidwood State Fish and Wildlife Area, located in the northeastern part of Illinois, is about three miles southeast of Braidwood. It features a complex of lakes and wetlands that were once surface-mined for coal.

The rugged terrain and diverse geological features create an ideal environment for fossil hunting, particularly for Mazon Creek fossils, which are well-preserved remnants from the Pennsylvanian period.

The area’s rich history suggests that exploring the sediment and gravel around the numerous water impoundments could yield interesting discoveries.

Petrified wood can typically be found in the spoil piles left from mining operations, particularly in the ironstone concretions that dot the landscape.

Chain of Rocks Gravel Bar

The Chain of Rocks Gravel Bar is located in Madison County along the banks of the Mississippi River. This area is known for its unique geological features and rich history.

The gravel bar is part of a larger region that includes the historic Chain of Rocks Bridge, which was built in 1929 and is famous for its distinctive 30-degree bend.

Rockhounds often visit the Chain of Rocks Gravel Bar to search for petrified wood, which is believed to originate from as far away as North Dakota. The gravel bar is a hotspot for various stones, including colorful agates and quartz.

The best time to search is when the river level drops below 10 feet, revealing a treasure trove of stones transported from upstream over centuries.

Mississippi River Banks

The Mississippi River is located along the western edge of the state. This area, stretching from East Dubuque to Cairo, features diverse terrains including floodplains, bluffs, and wetlands.

It is notable for the presence of petrified wood, which can be found in various locations along the river. The geological history of this region is rich, with extensive sedimentary deposits formed over millions of years.

The river’s flooding has created layers that preserve petrified wood, making it a prime spot for collectors. Unique features like the limestone bluffs near Alton enhance the area’s geological interest.

To find petrified wood, search along gravel bars where the river’s current deposits larger pieces. Smaller creeks and tributaries that feed into the Mississippi also carry sediments, making them excellent spots for discovery.

Floodplains, especially after high water events, can yield a variety of materials, including petrified wood, making this location a gem for rockhounding enthusiasts.

Shawnee National Forest

Nestled in the southern part of Illinois between the Ohio and Mississippi rivers, the Shawnee National Forest is a prime destination for rockhounding enthusiasts.

While petrified wood may not be a common find, the forest’s diverse terrain and ancient rock formations make it an intriguing place to explore.

The 289,000-acre forest features rolling hills, rocky bluffs, lush canyons, and oak-hickory forests that provide a picturesque backdrop for your rockhounding adventures.

Areas like creek beds, gravel bars, and exposed rock formations are ideal spots to search for interesting stones and minerals.

Keep an eye out for the forest’s famous Garden of the Gods, where stunning rock formations and scenic overlooks offer a glimpse into the area’s fascinating geological history.

Our Other Favorite Places For Petrified Wood

After discussing our top picks, we wanted to discuss the other places on our list. Below is a list of the additional locations where we have succeeded, along with a breakdown of each place by county.