Five Best Places to View Wildflowers and Much More in Central Washington
This week’s April Flowers Joyride takes you through the shrub steppe of eastern Kittitas County where you can enjoy the flowers, learn about the history and geology of the region, view pre-contact Native American art, wind turbines, and even a giant salmon waterslide. The loop starts in Ellensburg, a town that once aspired to be the state capitol, when it lost out to Olympia—but won Central Washington University instead (as an Ellensburg resident, I am glad to have the college rather than the state government in our town). Take Exit 106 from I-90 and head up University Avenue which will become Vantage Highway. As you drive through town, consider stopping at Winegar’s Coffee & Creamery or Vinman’s Bakery to pick up a treat for the road. Winegar’s started as a dairy and added ice cream to help sell their milk. Years later, the ice cream was so popular they dropped the dairy and added coffee and food to their line up that includes local favorite flavors such as Gary Doug and Ashley’s Coconuttery Swirl. If you want something to bring with you, consider getting a pastry, roll, or savory treat at Vinman’s Bakery that you can picnic on during the trip.
Treats from Vinman’s Bakery. Photo Credit: Vinman’s Bakery.
Wild Horse Wind and Solar Facility and Renewable Energy Center
Photo credit: PSE Wild Horse Wind and Solar Facility.
Heading out of Ellensburg, Vantage Highway takes you through the farm country before heading up Whiskey Dick Mountain. Take the exit for the Wild Horse Wind and Solar Facility Renewable Energy Center, and follow the road up to the top of the ridge where you can see a wind turbine blade up close, learn about the Native American culture of the region, the history and technology behind the wind and solar project in the visitor center, and enjoy a network of trails through the shrub steppe that offer both spring wildflowers and panoramic views. Make sure to have a warm jacket; the winds can be fierce this time of year (or, really, anytime of year), but the trip is well worth it. The visitor center and trails are free and open 9am-6pm from April 1st-October 31st. If you want to learn more about the facility, join a free guided tour at 10am and 2pm daily, weather permitting.
Photo credit: PSE Wild Horse Wind and Solar Facility.
2 & 3. Gingko Petrified Forest Trail and Interpretive Center
From the wind farm, head back down to Vantage Highway and continue to Gingko Petrified Forest State Park. Petrified wood is Washington’s official state gem and the Gingko Petrified Forest is one of the most diverse fossil forests in North America with over 50 species of wood that were buried in volcanic ash 15.5 million years ago. As you drive down Vantage Highway, your first stop is the interpretive trail system, consisting of several loops where you can see petrified trees. Next stop is the park interpretive center, built on a bluff overlooking the Columbia River. You can learn about the petrified forest and the great Missoula Floods that created the unique geography of the area, enjoy the view, and check out Native American petroglyphs that were moved to the bluff to save them when Wanapum Dam flooded the valley below. The interpretive center is open daily 10am-5pm from mid-May to mid-September, and Friday-Sunday 10am-4pm the rest of the year. A Discover Pass is required to park at both the interpretive trailhead and visitor center but there is no additional fee for the museum.
Petrified wood at the Gingko State Park Interpretive Center. Photo Credit: Washington State Parks.
4. Beverley Bridge & The Palouse to Cascades State Park Trail
The next stop on your spring loop is the historic Beverley Bridge over the Columbia River. This old railroad trestle is a critical loop in the Palouse to Cascades Trail, which runs along the old Milwaukee, St. Paul, and Pacific Railroad right-of-way from King County to the Idaho border (detours take you around sections that are closed to the public). The Columbia River Crossing was closed in 1980 for safety concerns and seriously damaged in a fire in 2021, but it was restored and reopened to the public in 2022. Park at the Palouse to Cascades Army East Trailhead (no pass required) and follow the trail to the southeast to the bridge. You can find more information about the trail on the Palouse to Cascades Trail Coalition page, or the Washington State Parks page.
5. View Wanapum Dam and the Giant Salmon Water Slide from Huntzinger Road Boat Launch
As promised, you can end your trip by viewing juvenile salmon having the ride of their life on a 290-foot fish water slide from the Huntzinger Boat Launch as you head back to I-90. This piscine (fish) water slide, the first on the Columbia River, provides a safer and more efficient way to get migrating juvenile salmon over the Wanapum Dam on their way down the Columbia to the Pacific Ocean. The water slide design boosts electric production as less water is bypassed around the generators than with a traditional spillway. It is safer for fish, with a 98% survival rate for juvenile fish, and we have to imagine it is quite a ride for the youngsters. The boat launch is just below the dam, with the fish slide near the middle of the dam structure.
To finish your loop, head back to I-90 and over the ridge to Ellensburg. If you want another view of wind towers, you can stop at the WSDOT rest area at the top of the ridge, for a close-up look at the 60 towers that make up the Vantage Wind Farm. If you are heading back over Snoqualmie Pass, consider stopping at Dru Bru, one of the businesses whose support allows us to keep the maps and apps free. You can find them in Cle Elum and Snoqualmie Pass.
