Steamboat Rock — Sunday, Jun. 15, 2014

Central Washington > Grand Coulee

This was a quick camping trip for us from Seattle. We took the more scenic drive (2 to 97) from Seattle and there were plenty of views. The variety of landscapes is amazing as you drive through forests, mountain ranges and desserts. You pass lakes and rivers and plains. The actual park is really nice. There is a convenience store which was unexpected. We rented a cabin there and it was really nice. It had a fire pit, a bunk bed and a sleeper sofa. There was even a mini fridge, microwave and outlets to charge. Comfort camping for sure but it was still really nice (slightly packed especially in peak season/weekend). Steamboat rock is an easy albeit steep hike. There are blasted rocks that you climb up but the 800' climb is easily done in an hour. When we went we were the only ones on the trail because it was late and the rain had just cleared. We saw several deer grazing at the top of the rock. The views are amazing and extremely rewarding. You see banks lake and the devils punch bowl and it looks a lot like Neverland should. Seems like it would be a good family hike if you have smaller kids depending on their age and maturity level. Terrain on and around the rock was desert and canyon-esque. Very beautiful and tranquil. At night if clear the star gazing is amazing. With a pair of 10x50 binoculars we saw several globular star clusters and faint glimpses of the more prominent galaxies. Major constellations and planets like mars are easily visible by eye. Go on a new moon and you can see the milky way.