DEPARTMENT OF HIGHWAYS
GINGKO PETRIFIED FOREST
LONG BEFORE THE DAWN OF HISTORY
WHEN NATURE HAD NOT YET RAISED UP
THE BARRIER OF THE CASCADE RANGE THERE
FLOURISHED HERE A SEMI-TROPICAL FOREST
DURING THE AGES THAT FOLLOWED EXTENSIVE
AND SUCCESSIVE LAVA FLOWS COVERED THE
LAND, BURYING DEEP BENEATH ITS MOLTEN
MASS THE BEAUTY OF THIS ANCIENT VERDURE
PERSISTENTLY THE ELEMENTS HAVE SINCE
ERODED THE CRUMBLING LAYERS OF LAVA
TO EXPOSE IN EXCESS OF 200 SPECIMENS
OF OPAL LOGS PRESERVED BY PETRIFACTION,
AMONG THEM THE GINGKO TREE WHICH, UNTIL
THE LAST CENTURY WAS KNOWN AS NATIVE
ONLY TO THE SACRED GARDENS OF CHINA.
AT GINKGO STATE PARK WASH
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