Steamboat Rock State Park
Map showing the location of Steamboat Rock State Park
Map showing the location of Steamboat Rock State Park
Location in the state of Washington
Map showing the location of Steamboat Rock State Park
Map showing the location of Steamboat Rock State Park
Steamboat Rock State Park (the United States)
LocationGrant, Washington, United States
Coordinates47°51′47″N 119°08′00″W / 47.86306°N 119.13333°W / 47.86306; -119.13333[1]
Area3,522 acres (14.25 km2)
Elevation1,975 ft (602 m)[1]
Established1972[2]
OperatorWashington State Parks and Recreation Commission
WebsiteSteamboat Rock State Park

Steamboat Rock State Park is a 3,522-acre (1,425 ha) Washington state park located near the north end of Banks Lake in the Grand Coulee. The park takes its name from the landscape's dominating feature, Steamboat Rock, a basalt butte that rises 800 feet (240 m) above the lake which nearly completely surrounds it.[2] The butte's plateau covers more than 600 acres (240 ha) and was used by nomadic Native American tribes and by early settlers.[3] During the last ice age, the monolith stood as an island in the new bed of the Columbia River where it had been diverted by ice dams. Once the dams burst creating massive floods and the Scablands, the Columbia returned to its original course, leaving Steamboat Rock as a prominent feature of the dry Grand Coulee.[2]

Activities and amenities

The park has 50,000 feet (15,000 m) of shoreline and is open year-round for camping and day use. The park has trails for hiking, biking, and equestrian use as well as water activities including boating, swimming, waterskiing, and fishing. Winter activities include cross-country skiing, ice fishing, and ice climbing.[3]

References

  1. 1 2 "Steamboat Rock State Park". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior.
  2. 1 2 3 Tate, Cassandra (October 11, 2005). "Steamboat Rock State Park". The Online Encyclopedia of Washington State History. HistoryLink. Retrieved November 24, 2007.
  3. 1 2 "Steamboat Rock State Park". Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission. Retrieved August 27, 2018.
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