Ethan, Karen, & I took a hike out the Ginkgo Backcountry on this sunny, mild day. We walked a bit over 1.5 miles and found a nice place overlooking the river for lunch. We stayed our usual hour or so before heading back. We saw some crows, a bald eagle, flotillas of geese, a couple of big horn sheep on the ridge and, believe it nor not, a couple of elk down by the river. There were many small patches of snow, but the trail was not muddy. We saw a couple of other hikers and their dogs out enjoying this beautiful day.
Trip Report
Ginkgo Petrified Forest State Park Backcountry — Sunday, Jan. 22, 2023
Central Washington > Yakima
Comments
Beautiful! I would love to check this place out, any tips on how I can take the same trail as you did ?
Posted by:
Ay Kay on Apr 05, 2023 07:19 PM
Sorry it took me so long to respond. We parked on Recreation Rd at the gated roads going up Rocky Coulee. We walked a little ways up the right hand road (25 -50 yds?) and headed off to the right on a game/boot trail. If you can't find it at first, just walk east through the sagebrush near the top of the cliffs above the road and you should see it. If not, just continue east until you are fairly close to the Columbia and then head north. The trail becomes pretty clear here, so you should find it. This hike is written up in both WTA's Hiking Guide and in Bauer & Nelson's "Best Desert Hikes in Washington". Hope this helps.
David Hagen
Posted by:
mytho-man on Apr 10, 2023 11:51 AM