Stop 7: Trace Fossils
Examine the surface of the petrified log to your right. Ancient insects and other arthropods left their mark on this tree in the form of finger-width burrows.

Footprints, tracks, burrows, borings, and feces left behind by prehistoric animals are called trace fossils. Most fossils are remains from after the animal’s death. Trace fossils are remains from the animal’s life! They record the movements and activities of a living creature, helping researchers understand animal behavior of long-ago ecosystems.

This is certainly not the only log where you’ll see these distinctive marks. Look for them all along the trail and in the park beyond.

Insect burrows highlighted red above. Look carefully! They can be tricky to spot.