National Fossil Wood Park, Thiruvakkarai

National Fossil Wood Park at Thiruvakkarai in Villupuram District, Tamil Nadu, is a National Geological Monument maintained by the Geological Survey of India. Spread over about 247 acres, it preserves petrified tree trunks estimated to be around 20 million years old from the Miocene period. The fossils lie horizontally after silica replacement. Located about 31 km from Puducherry, the open-air site offers educational insight into prehistoric flora and geological processes.

Visitors can expect an open, arid parkland with scattered, horizontally lying petrified tree trunks preserved in situ across a fenced area of about 247 acres. The site has information boards explaining the fossils and geology, with little shade and natural scrub vegetation. Visitors walk along marked paths to view the fossil trunks, take photographs, and learn about the Miocene-era petrification process. It is a quiet, educational outdoor experience rather than a developed recreational park.