Lemmon Petrified Park
The Lemmon Petrified Wood Park & Museum is a roadside attraction located off U.S. 12 in Lemmon, South Dakota, which features large outdoor sculptures created out of Mesozoic petrified wood. For mild weather, aim for May, June, August and September (66–84°F highs).
A museum inside Lemmon
Winters are cold
January nights drop to 7°, with about 42" of snow a year. When to go ↓
Plan where you’ll sleep
No town within 30 miles has many hotels or campgrounds. Look at the towns below, or plan to camp. Where to stay ↓
Best months: May, Jun, Aug and Sep
May, June, August and September are the mild months, with highs of 66–84°. When to go ↓
Written from NOAA 1991–2020 normals, Overture places to stay, Census town figures, Wikidata and Wikipedia.
A month-by-month look
A visit to Lemmon Petrified Park can follow the seasons below.
Lemmon Petrified Park
The Lemmon Petrified Wood Park & Museum is a roadside attraction located off U.S. 12 in Lemmon, South Dakota, which features large outdoor sculptures created out of Mesozoic petrified wood. It was created in 1933 by Ole Quammen, a former mayor of Lemmon. Besides the outdoor park, the site has a museum, also built out of petrified wood, which hosts smaller collections of fossils. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1977 as the Lemmon Petrified Park; when dedicated, it claimed to be the largest petrified wood park in the world. The park and museum, which do not charge admission, are open during the summer months between Memorial Day and Labor Day.
- Type
- Museum
- Listed
- National Register of Historic Places (1977)
- Wikipedia readers
- 1.1K a year
Bases for Lemmon Petrified Park
Places to stay start in Hettinger (3).
Compare 3 towns
Getting there
Nearest airports with airline service
Visiting Lemmon Petrified Park
Is Lemmon Petrified Park in Lemmon?
Yes. It’s inside Lemmon, SD.
When is the best time to visit Lemmon Petrified Park?
May, June, August and September, with highs of 66–84°.
What is the closest airport to Lemmon Petrified Park?
Dickinson Theodore Roosevelt Regional (DIK), about 67 miles away.
Where should I stay near Lemmon Petrified Park?
Hettinger (23 mi, 3 places to stay).
Word from Lemmon
Be the first to share a tip in Lemmon’s Town Square.
Sources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · NOAA climate normals · U.S. Census.