Things You'll Need
Instructions
Visit the Petrified Forest. It is one of Arizona's main tourist attractions and worth visiting in its own right. It will also give you an idea of what to look for if you go hunting for wood fossils outside the park.
Obtain permission from landowners for fossil hunting on privately owned land or permits for state- or federal-managed land. Your task will be far easier if you don't plan to take fossils home with you, since you can simply photograph the fossils you find in situ.
Hunt for petrified wood. It consists mostly of quartz crystals in the form of logs. Once you know what to look for, you'll be able to spot petrified wood against a background of normal rocks fairly easily.
Dig carefully around smaller pieces of petrified wood to loosen them, if you have a fossil-hunting permit. Brush away excess sand and dirt so you can examine your find properly. At this point, you can either photograph your find and leave it for future visitors or place it in your bag.
Clean the fossils with a soft brush such as a paintbrush when you get home. If you took pictures instead, print out your photographs.