Where to Find Petrified Wood near Santa Fe, NM
10 of the mapped rockhounding spots within 150 miles of Santa Fe report petrified wood. The closest is Mount Chalchihuitl, about 18 miles out (22 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 Santa Fe
Best spotMount ChalchihuitlSanta Fe County, New Mexico · 18 mi awayPublic access · Agate, Chalcedony, Petrified Wood +1
Las VegasSan Miguel County, New Mexico · 40 mi awayPermission required · Petrified Wood- Best spotJemez National Recreation AreaSandoval County, New Mexico · 41 mi awayPublic access · Obsidian, Opalized Wood
AlbuquerqueSandoval County, New Mexico · 62 mi awayPublic access · Agatized Wood- Pajarito MesaBernalillo County, New Mexico · 67 mi awayPublic access · Agatized Wood, Agate, Jasper
- Isleta PuebloBernalillo County, New Mexico · 68 mi awayPermission required · Opal, Opalized Wood, Agatized Wood
- Rio Puerco ValleyBernalillo County, New Mexico · 71 mi awayPublic access · Agate, Chalcedony, Jasper +2
- Los LunasValencia County, New Mexico · 84 mi awayPublic access · Red Agate, Banded Agate, Apache Tear +2
- Red Rock SpringSocorro County, New Mexico · 120 mi awayPublic access · Agatized Picture Wood, Petrified Cycad, Petrified Palm
- Best spotZuni MountainsCibola County, New Mexico · 140 mi awayPublic access · Agate, Chalcedony, Jasper +1
Types of petrified wood reported near Santa Fe
Counts reflect how many spots in this radius mention each variety.
- Agatized Wood5
- Opalized Wood3
- Petrified Wood3
- Agatized Picture Wood1
- Petrified Cycad1
- Petrified Palm1
Petrified Wood near Santa Fe FAQ
Where can I find petrified wood near Santa Fe?+
10 mapped spots within about 150 miles of Santa Fe report petrified wood. The closest is Mount Chalchihuitl in Santa Fe County, roughly 18 miles away (22 min drive). The full list with coordinates is on this page.
Can I collect petrified wood on public land near Santa Fe?+
8 of the 10 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 Santa Fe do I need to drive?+
The nearest petrified wood spot is about 18 miles out, and the farthest on this list is 140 miles. Most fall inside a normal weekend day-trip radius.
Keep exploring from Santa Fe
Where to Find Petrified Wood near other cities
Hunt petrified wood around Santa Fe 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.
