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Located just two hours’ drive east of Seattle, this campground lies at the edge of central Washington’s high desert scablands. These small recreation areas along the shore of Wanapum Lake, on the mighty Columbia River, showcase the area’s dramatic landscape, and preserve the fossilized remains of a prehistoric forest buried by an ancient lava flow. Some of the many activities available at these two locations include hiking, swimming, boating, fishing, camping and wildlife watching.
The campground at Wanapum offers 50 large, full-hookup sites for RV and tent campers. Sites are mostly open and grassy, with a few spare trees for shade and wind protection; all are equipped with picnic tables and cooking grills. The camp area has two vault toilets, a boat ramp, a shaded picnic area, and a sandy beach. This area is susceptible to high winds, so tents and awnings should be firmly secured. Dogs are permitted, but should remain leashed, as there are rattlesnakes in the area. The campground is open from March through October. Sites are first-come, first-served, but reservations are recommended in the summer season. Seasonal rates are $30–$50/night.
Just a few miles north of the recreation area, Ginkgo Petrified Forest preserves a unique fossil discovery that was revealed during highway construction in the 1930s: the remains of an ancient forest turned to stone. The park features an air-conditioned visitor center, restrooms, picnic areas, a boat launch, and lake viewpoints. Nearby, the 1-mile Trees of Stone interpretive trail winds through the fossilized forest, where visitors can see more than 20 specimens of petrified trees, in addition to erratic boulders deposited by ancient glacial floods. Common wildlife seen in the area include deer, elk, bighorn sheep and coyotes. Check park website for operating seasons and hours.
Interesting hike to see what is left of a forest of the past. There are petrified tree stems along the trail that are numbered. It's an easy stop between Seattle and Spokane to stretch your legs and see a little natural history.
Awesome place to bring the kids out and learn some geological sciences. A very interesting and educational place. Great artifacts on display with an outdoor viewing deck of the Columbia River and the Coulees. Watch for rattlesnakes. Go visit, it's definitely worth it.
A nice pleasant place to take a break from long drives. A nice restroom is available near the picnic area. Dogs can hang out in the picnic area. No real place for kids to play, but there are interesting places to go look at. Inside the visitors center there is staff to answer questions, a small gift store and various explanatory displays. A short path to the right of the building takes you to a display of some of the collected pictographs, some of which are quite interesting. The paths to the left of the building take one to the overlooks down the canyons towards the Columbia, quite scenic.
This place was great! The lady was so nice and inviting! We went on a Sunday and it was absolutely freezing out so we were surprised to see that it was open. We had the whole place to ourselves. I'd love to come back and hike the trails but it was near 0 and snow covered so we settled on watching their informative film and reading the placards on the walls. The person below, John Walker, is an idiot. It's a state park, they all charge 10 dollars or just buy the discover pass for 30 a year.
