A beautiful spring hike up one of Washington State’s hidden gems. Some scrambling required to get up and a bit slippery coming down due to loose rocks by very well worth the effort. Lilacs, larkspur, and arrow leaf balsam root in bloom. Great bird watching and several marmot sightings.

Last time I was in the area I took the Dam Tour (Grand Coulee Dam tour).  This time around I was treated to a walkabout on the top of Steamboat Rock.  Driving to the state park was no problem, but the wind, always a factor in that area was.  A beautiful sunny day, but when at the top, I like everyone else, was always wrapped up. I even had my hat adjusted a couple notches tighter than usual so that it didn't fly off, lost forever!  There are four campgrounds where you can pitch a tent, RV, or rent a cabin, although one campground is under renovation this year.  And while all trails lead to the same starting spot at the top, you can start the hike up any place you see a trail.  It takes a bit of a scramble to clamber or navigate the loose rock, but once you reach  an intersection you can go either left or right and circle the top.   The views from 800 atop the butte are great, standing in the Grand Coulee.  While roaming around the top you can see deer, birds and down below boats enjoying Banks Lake.

The trail offers a scramble through basalt as you begin to make the climb up to the top. We traveled with a dog and five kids ages 6-10. Special care must be taken when coming down as the rocks are loose and it is very steep. The views from the top of Steamboat were spectacular. Wildflowers were in bloom and we spotted 35 deer grazing at the top. Woodchucks, turkey vultures and eagles were also spotted during our four hour exploration 

There are three trailheads leading up to Steamboat rock--according to the simple map available at the entrance to the park. There are no other maps posted near trailheads that we could find. They all meet at a rock scramble, merge for the ascent to the top of the rock, and then diverge again into myriad rambling paths.

Rock scramble can be a bit stressful if uncertain footing makes you nervous, but we saw some very young children managing it. Trekking poles help.

 Otherwise trail is in great condition. Too early still for wildflowers.