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.

I spent a night under the stars at Steamboat Rock State Park recently and it was magical. I started at Dry Falls State Park but there was too much light pollution so I meandered north toward the Grand Coulee Dam. I ended up on a trail at the north end of Steamboat Rock State Park which led to a sandy beach looking out on glassy waters. At some point in moving from location to location taking long-exposure pictures I stopped and was overwhelmed by the sound of the night; frogs, crickets, and other mysterious creatures playing a little symphony of bass and treble parts. I held my IPhone in the air for awhile to record it. I created a little video combining the sound recorded on my IPhone and the photos I took at different locations, from the beginning of the trail that led to the beach, to the crumpled tree that was sitting on the water, to the glow of the Grand Coulee Dam in the distance, to the stars dancing gently on the surface of the waters, to the light breeze the turned water into light bounding ripples, to the timeless Milky Way rising over the scene, and finally to the pond that produced a small roar of applause for the arrival of Spring. I think the animals were as excited as I was that the brightest part of the Milky Way is finally making it's way over the horizon after a long winter's absence from the night sky. The link to the video is at: https://vimeo.com/94293430

The balsamroot is blooming beneath Steamboat Rock as you begin the hike. The short, steep, scree section of trail near the beginning of the climb through the slot remains, an area I am always thankful to get through safely in both directions! When we reached the middle ledge, we turned right to head for the top of the butte where we walked the perimeter enjoying the flowers on the butte and the views of Banks Lake below. About 18 years ago we discovered an eagle nest below the butte. It has been fun to return to check on the nest throughout the years. Balsamroot, thyme-leaved buckwheat, bluebells, phlox, sage brush violets, larkspur, wooly pod milk vetch, and white lupine were some of the flowers seen. We enjoyed 6 hours exploring the area.

After setting up camp at Steamboat Rock SP, we drove to the boat launch area and hiked the trail which begins across from the boat launch. This trail goes NW and along Banks Lake beneath Steamboat Rock. In about 1 mile there is a distant view of an eagle's nest which we discovered from above about 18 years ago. Phlox, balsamroot, death camas and wallflowers were seen.

Trails converge from the day use area and overnight campgrounds to ascend a scramble up to the top of Steamboat Rock. The ascent can be tricky in places due to marbly soil and loose rocks. Trekking poles help. Near the top, the trail splits. To the left is a path which splits again. The left split reportedly goes up to a view over the east side of the rock. We bypassed it and continued straight through a draw, over relatively flat terrain, eventually wandering over to a nice view to the SW overlooking Banks Lake. Then we headed east and found a fantastic view to the SSE from atop a sheer cliff. Swallows swooped past us and a small marmot trundled by in front of us, right along the edge of the cliff. The entire peninsula was visible, and a lot more to the south, where a vertical face of Steamboat Rock provided contrast. An eagle caught updrafts against the rock face. From here, we crossed back to the relatively flat area, then climbed beyond it the last 200 feet or so to the flat top of the rock. A couple of glacial erratics attracted us to them. We stopped for lunch at the larger rock pile, thinking it would provide a nice place to sit. But a huge amount of marmot droppings made it less appealing. From there we struck out to the NNE and found our way back to the top of the ascent chute. We decided to explore the path that originally led to the right. Good choice. The views to the north were easily obtained, and absolutely astounding - my favorites of the whole hike. Again, there was a vertical cliff face to stay back from. But this time the view of Banks Lake to the north included numerous rock peninsulas and islands - very picturesque!