We chose to stay at Vantage Washington for three days as we traveled west toward the Pacific coast mostly because it was in a convenient place to stop after Couer d’Alene, our previous stop. We were aware of Wanapum Lake and the petrified forest and hoped they would provide some interesting things to see while in the area.

Ginkgo Petrified Forest State Park is one of the most significant petrified wood sites in the world. The park was established in 1935 and is named after the ginkgo tree, a rare species found among the petrified specimens in the area. It covers about 7,470 acres and is one of the most unusual and significant fossil forests in the world. It features a large collection of petrified logs and stumps that were formed millions of years ago during the Miocene epoch, around 15 to 20 million years ago, when the region was covered in a subtropical forest.

In addition to the size of the area, unlike other areas of petrified wood that typically only have a few species of trees, the Ginkgo Petrified Forest has a remarkable diversity of many different tree species due to the unique environmental conditions and geological history of the region. These conditions included climate, varied terrain, volcanic activity and sedimentation. The Ginkgo Petrified Forest is thus a window into a prehistoric ecosystem, offering insights into the types of trees that lived in the region millions of years ago, and showcasing the incredible biodiversity of that ancient forest.

The park is a great place to explore the unique geological history of the area, with a hiking trail that takes you past numerous petrified wood specimens still embedded in the ground. The Visitor Center has displays that explain how the petrified wood was formed and exhibits showcasing various types of petrified wood found in the area. Additionally, the Columbia River offers stunning views, making it a great spot for a day trip.

Park Review – Wanapum State Park

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Location: Vantage, WA
Type: State Park
Check-in/Check-out times: 2:30/1:00
Site Quality / Amenities: The roads are asphalt and the pads are gravel. Each site has a picnic table and fire ring.
Access: From Interstate 90, take exit 136 toward Vantage/Huntzinger Rd. then go south on Huntzinger Rd. for 2.9 miles.
Staff: The staff at check-in was helpful. Unexpectedly, we did not have to pay for a day or an annual park pass since we were camping. Most other states require payment of a park pass as well as camping fees. I believe the camping tag we got checking in also applied to the Ginkgo State Park as well but we purchased a day pass before we figured that out.
Cellular/WiFi: Verizon 4G LTE speeds were about 5 Mbps down and 0.2 Mbps up. Starlink speeds were great at more than 168 Mbps download and 19.5 Mbps up from the upper level (sites 32-49) as there are few trees. The lower level had more trees so reception could have been obstructed.
Restaurants: We did not eat out while we were here.
Nearby parks: We didn’t look at any other parks nearby. There was a commercial park in the town of Vantage that might have been OK.
What we liked: Particularly in the upper level, sites are spacious. The park is clean and generally well maintained. Black sand at the beach from the history of volcanic activity in the area.
What we didn’t like: When we were here in early August, the temperatures were reaching nearly 100 degrees. Reports are that the winds in this park can be really strong but we didn’t experience that while there. We did loose water for about 5 hours one morning but luckily they were able to get it working again. Many sites are too small for larger rigs.
Verdict: This is a nice place to stay for a few nights if passing through the area.