Where to Find Petrified Wood near Houston, TX
15 of the mapped rockhounding spots within 150 miles of Houston report petrified wood. The closest is E of New Caney, about 29 miles out (36 min drive).
Petrified wood is ancient wood replaced cell by cell with silica. It concentrates where volcanic ash buried forests, and weathered pieces collect as float on desert slopes and in washes.
Every petrified wood spot within 150 miles of Houston
E of New CaneyMontgomery County, Texas · 29 mi awayPublic access · Jasper, Petrified Palm Wood
Best spotSam Houston National Forest (Double Lake)San Jacinto County, Texas · 56 mi awayPublic access · Petrified Palm Wood, Petrified Wood, Agate +2- N of Lake LivingstonTrinity County, Texas · 78 mi awayPublic access · Petrified Palm Wood
- Btwn Groveton & TrinityTrinity County, Texas · 88 mi awayPublic access · Agate, Chalcedony, Jasper +1
- Creek beds & hill slopes between Caldwell & SomervilleBurleson County, Texas · 89 mi awayPublic access · Petrified Wood, Agatized Wood
- N of CrossMadison County, Texas · 90 mi awayPublic access · Petrified Wood
- Large area btwn Camden and ChesterPolk County, Texas · 90 mi awayPublic access · Petrified Palm Wood
- Rabb's CreekFayette County, Texas · 93 mi awayPublic access · Petrified Wood, Opalized Wood
- Large area between CrockettHouston County, Texas · 98 mi awayPublic access · Jasper, Agatized Wood
- MoultonLavaca County, Texas · 107 mi awayPublic access · Agate, Petrified Wood
- Best spotColorado River at SmithvilleBastrop County, Texas · 108 mi awayPublic access · Petrified Palm Wood, Petrified Wood, Agate
- Best spotDavy Crockett National Forest (Ratcliff Lake)Houston County, Texas · 112 mi awayPublic access · Petrified Wood, Agatized Wood, Jasper +2
McGee Bend damJasper County, Texas · 117 mi awayPermission required · Agatized Wood- Peach CreekGonzales County, Texas · 118 mi awayPublic access · Agate, Petrified Wood
- E of AustinTravis County, Texas · 134 mi awayPublic access · Agatized Wood, Petrified Palm Wood
Types of petrified wood reported near Houston
Counts reflect how many spots in this radius mention each variety.
- Petrified Wood9
- Petrified Palm Wood6
- Agatized Wood5
- Opalized Wood1
Petrified Wood near Houston FAQ
Where can I find petrified wood near Houston?+
15 mapped spots within about 150 miles of Houston report petrified wood. The closest is E of New Caney in Montgomery County, roughly 29 miles away (36 min drive). The full list with coordinates is on this page.
Can I collect petrified wood on public land near Houston?+
14 of the 15 spots here sit on land mapped as publicly accessible. Casual hand collecting of common rocks and minerals is allowed on most BLM and Forest Service land with limits set by the local field office; national parks and most state parks are closed to collecting. Confirm current rules with the managing agency before a trip.
How can I tell petrified wood from plain rock?+
Look for wood structure: parallel grain lines, growth rings on cut ends, and bark texture on the outside. Petrified palm shows a distinctive rod-and-dot pattern instead of rings. Plain jasper and chert show none of these, even when the color looks woody.
How far from Houston do I need to drive?+
The nearest petrified wood spot is about 29 miles out, and the farthest on this list is 134 miles. Most fall inside a normal weekend day-trip radius.
Keep exploring from Houston
Where to Find Petrified Wood near other cities
Hunt petrified wood around Houston with the map in your pocket
RockHoundR shows these spots on an offline map with public land overlays, geology layers, weather, and a log for your finds.
