Steamboat Rock State Park: A Fantastic Summer Destination

Steamboat Rock State Park is one of the most impressive places in Washington. It is unexpected, interesting, unique, and seriously stunning! This destination is unlike any other in the evergreen state and I promise you will fall in love with this place and be planning a trip back before you’ve even left.

To be honest, I wasn’t expecting much being an Eastern Washington local. I was thinking more of the same flat agricultural type landscape that I am used to seeing two hours away in the Tri-Cities but this place blew me away. Jamie had been here before and had told me how incredible it was but I hadn’t believed him. Which is a real shame as I know I would have planned several summer trips over the last three years we have been living on this side of the state.

This whole area known as the Coulee Corridor was carved out by Ice Age floods into the dramatic lake-studded canyon it is today. During these catastrophic floods, Lake Missoula, a huge body of water stored behind ice dams in Western Montana would inundate the Columbia River when the ice dam containing the lake would fail. During this time, water flowed at alarming speeds of 50 to 60 miles per hour which ravaged the landscape downstream and scoured it. You can see more examples of this at Sun Lakes Dry Falls State Park which is not too far south from here.

Visiting Steamboat Rock State Park

This state park is over 5,000 acres with 50,000 feet of lake shoreline. The incredibly beautiful Banks Lake is the main attraction here offering lots of on-water recreation activities. Banks Lake is unbelievably blue and gigantic. It’s perfect for getting lost on your boat, fishing, or canoeing in the calm bay areas.

At the center of the park is the wonderfully weird rock formation that the park is named after; Steamboat Rock. This gigantic rock which is more like a mesa has a surface area of 600 acres which you are more than welcome to walk atop if you have the motivation to hike up.

This state park is a popular RV and camping destination in the summer for reasons already mentioned. It is one of the prettiest lakes we’ve ever seen and a good spot for swimming and cooling off. We highly recommend planning a camping trip here but make sure you book your campsite in advance if you plan to visit on a weekend.

Does it cost to get in? Yes, entry to all state parks in Washington require a Discover Pass however you can purchase a day use permit on arrival for $10.

Things To Do At Steamboat Rock State Park

Hiking

There aren’t many hiking options in Steamboat Rock State Park unless you want to go exploring off-trail. The most popular hiking trail is the hike up to Steamboat Rock which provides one of the most outstanding views of the area and to be honest, one of the best views in Washington state!

The trail is rated as moderately strenuous and does involve a steep incline section however it is short-lived and as already mentioned, most definitely rewarding.

There are several trails located on the other side of the highway in the Northrup Canyon area that you can do. These other trails lead to an old homestead and to Northrup Lake. See a map of the state park and hiking trails here.

Kayaking, Canoeing, and Stand Up Paddleboarding

Kayakers and canoeists will fall in love with Steamboat Rock State Park. The calm and protected bays here make for an excellent paddling destination. Not to mention how clear and iridescently blue the water is making it very inviting for swimming too.

Boating

Banks Lake is 27 miles long stretching between Coulee City to Electric City. This means there are plenty of places for you to explore on the water! There are two boat launches for accessing the lake, one at Steamboat Rock State Park and another at Northrup Point a few miles farther north. Several other boat launch sites exist along Highway 155 if you prefer to get away from the crowd.

Fishing

Banks Lake is a fisherman’s heaven. With so much lake to discover you won’t be short on places to try your luck. The lake is most popular for smallmouth bass and walleye. You can also catch lake whitefish, black crappies, bluegill, perch, rainbow trout, Kokanee, and catfish. The lake does freeze over on occasion in winter and can be a good spot for ice fishing.

Camping At Steamboat Rock State Park

Steamboat Rock State Park has three campground areas and a large day-use area protected from winds by tall poplar trees. The park is open year-round for camping but in winter some sections of the campground do close. The main park has 26 standard campsites, 136 full-hookup sites, three cabins, one dump station, six restrooms, and six showers. The park also has 12 primitive boat-in campsites with vault toilets and water.

These campsites can be reserved between April 1st to October 31st otherwise they are on a first-come first-serve basis from November 1st to March 31st. Reservations can be made online or by calling 888-226-7688.

In addition, there are 44 primitive campsites with vault toilets which are seven and nine miles north of the main park at Jones Bay (no water available). There are also 26 primitive campsites with vault toilets at Osborn Bay (no water available). All primitive sites are first come, first served.

Cabins At Steamboat Rock State Park

There are three cabins you can rent located in the Bay Loop area of Steamboat Rock State Park. Each cabin is furnished with a queen-sized bed, a bunk bed that sleeps three, small end table, microwave, mini-refrigerator, heater, and air conditioner. Outside is a picnic table and fire pit with grate. Restrooms with showers are nearby. You can see cabin rates at Steamboat Rock State Park here.

Getting There

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