Salkhan Fossils Park

The Salkhan Fossils Park, officially known as Sonbhadra Fossils Park is located 12 km from Robertsganj town on the Varanasi – Shakti Nagar highway in the Salkhan village in Sonebhadra district of eastern Uttar Pradesh, India.
The park essentially represents the geological heritage of the district Sonebhadra. It is one of the most important destinations to unearth the Earth’s geological and biological past and is an evidence of the emergence of life on Earth. The fossils found here are the oldest of their kind in the world making the park an invaluable possession not only for India but also for the entire world.
According to geologists, the tree fossils are approximately 1400 million years old, and their origin dates back to Proterozoic Period. American scientists estimate that the fossils in the park are nearly 1500 million years old and date back to the Mesoproterozoic period. They also claim that the park is much older and is thrice larger than the Yellowstone National Fossil Park in the United States. The park is three times larger than the Yellow Stone Park of America. The fossils found in the Sonbhadra Fossils Park are algae and stromatolites types of fossils. The park is spread over an area of about 25 hectares in Kaimur Range, adjacent to Kaimur Wildlife Sanctuary. It comes under jurisdiction of the State forest department.