The Petrified Wood Curse
Utah's unluckiest urban legend
Petrified resides in that class of quirky words which pepper the English language. Two wildly different meanings are attached to this word. Science uses it as a descriptor for organic matter that turned to stone during the fossilization process. A second definition turns petrified into a synonym of terrified, describing a person so scared they are unable to move.
One Utah-based urban legend combines the science and terror components in an ominous way.
Escalante Petrified Forest State Park is ground zero for extreme bad luck. The ancient trees are fun to check out if you take a day trip to that part of Utah. Local legends also warn these remnants from millions of years ago can be harbingers of doom for hapless souvenir seekers.
Pure bad luck
Escalante Petrified Forest State Park is a popular destination for hiking and camping. Visitors also can enjoy kayaking, canoeing, and paddleboarding along the shores of Wide Hollow Reservoir in the park. There are tons of fun things to do there if you're an outdoor enthusiast.
The fun ends if you abscond with a piece of petrified wood from the forest. It isn't a harmless souvenir according to legend. A curse on the park states anyone who steals petrified wood from the state park becomes a magnet for bad luck. They will experience nothing except misfortune for the rest of their life until they break the curse by returning the petrified wood is returned to its home.
What form does this streak of bad luck take? Everything from public embarrassment to serious accidents and illnesses. The curse is powerful and knows no boundaries in punishing souvenir seekers.
Packages of misfortune
A testament to the petrified wood curse can be found in the park’s visitor center. Letters from dozens of past state park visitors chronicle their bouts with bad luck after pilfering samples from the petrified forest. Some letter writers claim their luck only turned good again after they returned the petrified wood where they found it.
Other past visitors take it a step further and mail packages of stolen petrified wood back to the state park. Some returned samples weighed as much as 30 pounds and were mailed to Utah from all over the world. Anywhere from six to 12 such packages are shipped to the state park each year.
One letter accompanying a returned piece of petrified wood detailed how letter writer suffered multiple broken bones, a fire in his motor home, and a car engine failure after the warranty expired in the span of a single year after stealing petrified wood from the forest.
Origins for the curse
No solid evidence exists for when stories of the curse at Escalante Petrified Forest State Park first started. Stories surrounding the curse date back to the 1930s. It appears the curse isn’t limited to the state park in Garfield County. Petrified Forest National Park in Arizona also carries tales of a similar curse inflicted on petrified wood thieves.
This bit of modern folklore serves a singular purpose of deterring people from stealing. Folklore where thieves meet with misfortune isn’t uncommon since these types of stories often double as cautionary tales against dishonesty. Superstitions aside, petrified wood thieves do risk suffering one specific real-world consequence. If they are caught in the act, they can expect to pay a stiff fine since it’s against Utah state law to steal petrified wood from the Escalante Petrified Forest State Park.
Is there specific folklore or urban legends you would like to see featured in a future Folklore Friday feature? Let me know in the comments below.
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I had no idea there was a petrified forest in Utah and it was also supposed to be bad luck! I lived in AZ for a while and I loved the Petrified Forest but just assumed the curse was to keep thieves at bay. But, hey, but better safe than sorry! (same reason you never rob a mummy ;-)
The story sounded soo familiar but a little off. It wasn’t until you mentioned a similar curse attached to another petrified forest located in Arizona that everything clicked into place. I’m an Arizonan. I’ve heard the tales about the forest in my state, didn’t realize there was one in Utah as well with the same tales of bad luck!