Stop 9: Tap into the Past
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As you round the bend, take a look at the massive log next to the trail. Roots and branches fall away from rotting trees, but this one still shows the stump of its taproot. A taproot is a central, dominant, deep-anchoring root.

A tree is more than its trunk. Fossilized cones, needles, and roots tell us as much about the ancient trees as the fossilized logs do. Fossilized cones tell us the trees were conifers, reproducing through seed-bearing cones, like a modern pine tree. The taproot itself is also like some modern pines. Its purpose is to stabilize and nourish the tree during severe storms and drought.

Nearly a dozen types of petrified wood have been formally described. There are more species that have yet to be determined. A healthy ecosystem is a diverse one.

It was a time before flowers. Coniferous trees, tree ferns, and gingkoes thrived in the ancient subtropical landscape. Many of the giant logs found along the trail, unique to this area, have been given the scientific name Araucarioxylon arizonicum.