Ginkgo Petrified Forest State Park

Captain Cake

2024-02

This place was great! The lady was so nice and inviting! We went on a Sunday and it was absolutely freezing out so we were surprised to see that it was open. We had the whole place to ourselves. I'd love to come back and hike the trails but it was near 0 and snow covered so we settled on watching their informative film and reading the placards on the walls. The person below, John Walker, is an idiot. It's a state park, they all charge 10 dollars or just buy the discover pass for 30 a year.

Emma Tia Nester

2024-04

Interesting place to stop if in the area. The walk itself to see the displays is open dawn to dusk daily but the museum has limited hours.

Elizabeth Fehring

2024-02

This was a neat place to stop if you're in the area. The views from the visitor's center are beautiful. The petrified wood is really interesting to see and really accessible to view from the parking lot.We had an eagle flow RIGHT ABOVE us while we were there - very idyllic!

Sellwood Designs

2023-11

A nice pleasant place to take a break from long drives. A nice restroom is available near the picnic area. Dogs can hang out in the picnic area. No real place for kids to play, but there are interesting places to go look at. Inside the visitors center there is staff to answer questions, a small gift store and various explanatory displays. A short path to the right of the building takes you to a display of some of the collected pictographs, some of which are quite interesting. The paths to the left of the building take one to the overlooks down the canyons towards the Columbia, quite scenic.

J M

2023-09

Awesome place to bring the kids out and learn some geological sciences. A very interesting and educational place. Great artifacts on display with an outdoor viewing deck of the Columbia River and the Coulees. Watch for rattlesnakes. Go visit, it's definitely worth it.Playground: No children's playground available on the park.Restrooms: Restrooms are available and clean.Dog-friendliness: Short hiking trails to walk the dog. Watch for rattlesnakes.Picnic area: No formal picnic area but there's places to sit on the viewing deck. Nearby Wanapum State Park has plenty of space for picnicking.

Gergely K

2023-11

Interesting hike to see what is left of a forest of the past. There are petrified tree stems along the trail that are numbered. It's an easy stop between Seattle and Spokane to stretch your legs and see a little natural history.

Jordan “Pacific NorthWest Yetti.” Pawley

2023-12

The signage, to it) or to let you know it is there, leaves a little to be desired. However, GPS will take you right to it. And once there, they did a great job. A lot of info, friendly ranger. And quite the view.

Matthew Swanson

2023-07

Super interesting!The Gem shop has lots of cool stuff to see (and touch).The visitors center has a ton of things to check out and the story behind everything is fascinating.If you get a chance to take a hike, you can see some of the trees still in the ground. There’s even a couple Walnut trees that are HUGE.

Mystdragon

2023-08

I would’ve gave it a five except for the restroom. There was more orb spiders in there that I cared to count. If you have to go to the restroom I suggest you drive down to the recreation area. The view a spectacular day was gorgeous. Inside was very informative. I would recommend you stop by there just empty your bladder first.

Sidharth Jhawar

2023-06

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Ganesh Kumar

2023-05

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Michael

2023-09

Interesting state park, with beautiful views of the river. Inside there is a lot of history of the petrified woods, where they come from, and the different types. I think it was worth the stop to learn a little history.

Jesse James White

2023-05

Stopped in on New Year’s Day, parking lot and bathrooms were open but museum was closed. Great views of the wintery desert and good information on interpretive panels along the ridge. Could plow/ shovel a little more to increase accessibility and safety but we have AWD and were careful on foot. Leashed dogs are allowed. New Year’s Day is an annual free day, otherwise you need your discover pass or to pay the $10 fee.

April Stucker

2024-01

Great petrified wood. Visitor center was closed today. Clean facilities.

Richard Truitt

2023-11

It is small and not well marked. It is also not a forest. It has some remnants of fossilized trees with grates over them to prevent people from taking souvenirs.

Mark Peterson

2023-05

The visitor center is an absolute must see if you are in the area. It has an unbelievable panoramic view of the Columbia River. We really enjoyed the displays explaining the geology of the region. The actual park leaves a lot to be desired. You are encouraged to walk around a sun blasted hell-scape looking at very few petrified stumps in the ground.

Stephenie M Roundy

2023-07

This was a surprise as we were heading from Seattle to Spokane and is right on the Columbia River! We love petrified wood and State Parks in Utah so this was a treat. Next time we hope we make it when the visitor center is open.

Cheyenne Brown

2024-02

Fantastic, but the trail isn’t dog friendly. Too many sharp rocks. Bring a snack, eat at the top or in the parking lot, there’s no food close by.

DD Wilson

2023-09

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Leah

2023-05

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Thera Bradley

2023-09

I've been stopping here on road trips across the state for over 30 years.It's a great way to spend 30 minutes to an hour looking at some amazing petrified wood and learning.You also get some spectacular views of the Columbia River.Staff is friendly and helpful. There are public bathrooms and grass with picnic tables.This is a state park, so a Discover pass or fee is required to park. There is no charge to go inside the museum, though.

Rolf Shmidt

2023-05

This park has some of the best petrified wood specimen I have ever seen except for what I have seen in Arizona. The trees were buried by volcanic ash about 15 million years ago, the ash became hard basalt and was eroded around 17,000 years ago by the great Missoula floods

Debbie O'Riley

2023-05

The geologic wonders here are amazing. It was raining the day we stopped, but it lookeduke a great place to camp, take in the views, & see the petrified wood!

Penguin Vlogs

2023-10

Amazing collections of petrified logs. The park sit on top of the canyon overlooking the Columbia River.

chris m

2023-11

Built in the 1960's the Interpretative center is a lot like the petrified wood it displays inside.... frozen in time. Except for what is I'm sure a once every ten year obligatory new coat of paint, the center seems little if any changed from opening day. Even the thermostat seemed to be from the 70's. Then again petrified wood doesn't really change. Sadly I feel it suffers from being in the litteral middle of nowhere. The view of the gorge from the platform is beautiful and worth the stop. We spent 3 days in the park and took in all the area had to offer. I wonder how many just drive thru Vantage never knowing any of it is here. We were also fortunate to see a herd of wild long horn sheep in the parking lot.Playground: None.Restrooms: Regular restrooms outside the park Interpretative center. They were old but functional.Dog-friendliness: On leash dogs welcome. No poop bag dispensers or designated dog areas that we found.Picnic area: There is a big grass area at the Interpretative center where you can spread a blanket.

Bill Kuropat

2023-05

Great place to see pictographs, a valuable local history. Very friendly person working when we visited. Several small herds of big horn sheep wandering around the grounds.

Alexandra Browning

2023-05

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Michelle Plasse

2023-05

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T Gomez

2023-07

Interesting place. Saw things that had never seen before. The Ginkgo tree was the most fascinating for me. I have taken the supplements before but never knew the history of the tree.

Julia O'Brien Baker

2023-10

Very special place with a gorgeous view of the Columbia River. Small but full of interesting exhibits and specimens. The variety of petrified wood specimens was impressive as were the size of many of them. Highly recommend this special stop on your journey