Park Features

The Petrified Forest Protected Area is administered by the Nature Conservation Sector of the Ministry of Environment in Egypt. The Egyptian Prime Minister declared the Petrified Forest as an officially Protected Area by decree number 944 issued in 1989.

The Petrified Forest is one of the geologically important protected areas, within Cairo. It showcases the remains of a forest that existed 35 million years ago through strewn logs of petrified wood all over the land. Like Wadi Degla, it is popular because of its location inside Cairo.

Throughout the small reserve, there are colossal amounts of unmatched sizes and shapes of petrified woods. Their presence is the main factor in what has turned the forest into a favored tourist attraction. The petrified wood exhibits the fossilized remains of about 35 million years of ancient vegetation and is absolutely remarkable in its representation of the original organic material. The wood originates from various types of trees, most of which are acacia trees, pastoral plants, and bushes.

While the surface of this piece of land is covered with the fossilized remains, more natural treasures lie deep under the ground. As mentioned before, these natural artifacts have been in the making for approximately 35 million years.

Climatically, the protected area lies within the hyper-arid provinces with a mild winter and a hot summer. Rainfall is low and confined to one season (mostly winter). Average rainfall is very variable; certain years have rainfall above 50 mm and others completely dry.

The Petrified Forest Protected Area is located within the Eastern Desert of Egypt. The Eastern Desert is a very different landscape to the Western Desert and there are no natural oases to punctuate this inhospitable land. Despite the lack of water, a few shrubs, plants and animals survive.

The Petrified Forest Protected Area Park Rangers are environmental specialists who work to observe and maintain untouched natural environments. The duties of a park ranger include protecting unspoiled natural resources from unsustainable practices, improving the conservation efforts, and managing the day-to-day operations of the protected area.