Places To Go

Places to go is a challenging question to answer. Ice Age Floods National Geologic Trail covers some 16,000 square miles (41,440 km2) in present day Montana, Idaho, Washington, and Oregon. Amazing visitor experiences are around every corner. Listing them all would number in the thousands which is why this unique park experience invites you to customize your visit, take in flood ravaged landscapes and experience the living culture of the region how you would like to experience it.

To help visitors to the area better plan the National Park Service has prepared a list of associated park sites that visitors might enjoy.

See Things to Do for a list of museums also in the region.

 

Idaho

Farragut State Park

Address: 13550 ID-54, Athol, ID 83801

Phone: [phone]

"Once a WWII era naval training station, this 4,000-acre park now provides camping opportunities with 223 individual sites, 7 group camps, and 10 camping cabins."

 

Oregon

Bellevue Erractic

Address: Willamette Valley, OR

Phone: [phone]

"This 90-ton rock was deposited during an Ice Age flood. It floated over 500 miles in an iceberg 12,000 to 17,000 years ago,by way of the Columbia River. When the ice melted, the rock was left behind. This is the largest glacial erratic found in the Willamette Valley. It is a type of rock not normally found in Oregon because it came from the Northern Rocky Mountains. Visitors at Erratic Rock can look out across the vast landscape and imagine the huge amount of water that filled the Willamette Valley during the Ice Age Floods."

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Multnomah Falls

Address: I-84, Cascade Locks, OR 97014

Phone: [phone]

"Multnomah Falls is the most visited recreation site in the Pacific Northwest with 2 million stopping each year to take in the views! It features the 2nd highest waterfall in the United States. Fed by underground springs from Larch Mountain, the flow over the falls varies, usually it's highest during winter and spring. Multnomah Falls offers one of the best places in the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area to study geology exposed by floods.Five flows of Yakima basalt are visible in the falls' cliff face."

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Portland Women's Forum

Address: Corbett, OR 97019

Phone: [phone]

"The view is absolutely breathtaking and it's one of the best spots to soak in a view of one of the most beautiful places on earth: the magnificent, awesome Columbia River Gorge. Any visit to the Gorge would be nearly perfect with Women's Forum as the starting place to a fun-filled day of adventure and discovery."

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Vista House

Address: 40700 Historic Columbia River Hwy, Corbett, OR 97019

Phone: [phone]

"The Vista House was built in 1917 on one of the most beautiful scenic points on the Historic Columbia River Highway. It was constructed to provide travelers a place to rest and refresh themselves as they made their way down the magnificent Columbia River Gorge."

 

Steamboat Rock

NPS/Handke

Washington

Beacon Rock State Park

Address: 34841 WA-14, Stevenson, WA 98648

Phone: [phone]

"Beacon Rock State Park is a 5,100-acre year-round camping park with historic significance dating back hundreds of years. Located in the heart of the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area, Beacon Rock is the core of an ancient volcano. The mile-long trail to its summit provides outstanding panoramic views of the Columbia River Gorge. The park includes 9,500-feet of freshwater shoreline on the Columbia River. The park has over 20 miles of roads and trails open to hiking, mountain biking and equestrian use."

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Columbia Hills State Park

Address: 85 Route 14, Dallesport, WA 98635

Phone: [phone]

"Columbia Hills Historical State Park is a 3,338-acre camping park with 7,500-feet of freshwater shoreline on the Columbia River. Horsethief Butte dominates the skyline. It stands over the lake like an ancient castle. The lake itself is about 90-acres in size and is actually an impoundment of the Columbia River. The lake was flooded into existence by the reservoir created by The Dalles Dam. Lupine and balsam root bloom in mid-April making spectacular fields of purple and gold. Rock climbing is possible in this park."

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Dry Falls/Sun Lakes State Park

Address: 34875 Park Lake Rd NE, Coulee City, WA 99115

Phone: [phone]

"Dry Falls is one of the great geological wonders of North America. Carved by Ice Age floods that long ago disappeared, the former waterfall is now a stark cliff, 400 feet high and 3.5 miles wide. In its heyday, the waterfall was four times the size of Niagara Falls. Today, it overlooks a desert oasis filled with lakes and abundant wildlife."

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Ginkgo Petrified Forest State Park

Address: 4511 Huntzinger Rd, Vantage, WA 98950

Phone: [phone]

"Ginkgo Petrified Forest State Park is a 7,470-acre park with year-round camping at Wanapum recreational area. The park features 27,000 feet of freshwater shoreline on the Wanapum Reservoir on the Columbia River. Petrified wood was discovered in the region in the early 1930s, which led to creation of the park as a national historic preserve."

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Lyons Ferry State Park

Address: WA-261, Washtucna, WA 99371

Phone: [phone]

"Lyons Ferry Park marks the site of early settlements of the Palouse Indians. It covers more than a thousand acres and has plenty of freshwater shoreline on the Snake River. The park is a haven for boating, camping, fishing, hiking, picnicking, swimming and water skiing. With average summer temperatures in the 90s, it's a cool shaded spot to find some relief from the sun."

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Palouse Falls

Address: Palouse Falls Rd, Lacrosse, WA 99143

Phone: [phone]

"Palouse Falls State Park is a 105-acre camping park with a unique geology and history. The park offers a dramatic view of one of the state's most beautiful waterfalls. Palouse Falls drops from a height of 200 feet."

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Scooteney Park/Othello Channels

Address: 800 Scooteney Park Rd, Connell, WA 99326

Phone: [phone]

"Fifteen miles from Othello, the 925-acre Scootney Reservoir is quite popular with local anglers. Visitors fish year-round for yellow perch, crappie, largemouth bass and smallmouth bass. Scootney Reservoir also hosts an Annual Antique Boat Races. Trailheads for hiking lead directly in and out of the campgrounds. Wildlife viewing and birdwatching opportunities are abundant."

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Steamboat Rock

Address: 51052 WA-155, Electric City, WA 99123

Phone: [phone]

"Dominating the landscape is a columnar, basaltic rock with a surface area of 600 acres. Three campground areas and a large day-use area are on sweeping green lawns, protected from winds by tall dramatic poplars. The surrounding areas are carpeted with wildflowers, adding to the gray-green brush of the Scablands."

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Yakima Sportsman State Park

Address: 904 University Pkwy, Yakima, WA 98907

Phone: [phone]

"Yakima Sportsman State Park is a 247-acre camping park created in 1940 by the Yakima Sportsman's Association to promote game management and the preservation of natural resources. The park is on the floodplain of the Yakima River and is an irrigated green zone in an otherwise desert area. The park has a variety of deciduous trees that shade camping and picnic areas."