Situated on the western shoreline of the Columbia River’s Wanapum Reservoir, the Gingko Petrified Forest is home to one of the most diverse collections of fossilized wood in the country. Discovered in 1930, this area was quickly preserved and turned into a state park. Visitors can get an amazing view of the specimens at the Interpretive Center.
What was once one of the largest geological sites in the world, Sun Lakes-Dry Falls is full of history. Over 15,000 years ago, a 3½-mile-long cliff hosted a waterfall that was four times the size of Niagara. At the end of the last Ice Age, massive floods, stemming from the proglacial Lake Missoula in Montana, devastated the Washington area. It left scars that can still be seen today.
Here we have another case of a deceptive name. Flaming Geyser got its dramatic title back in the early 1900s. While miners were digging out a test well, a mixture of gas and seawater erupted in a 26-foot-high inferno of fire. Methane fumes are still present, but it has since simmered down into the rock-rimmed basin leaving it only a few inches tall.
If you’re searching for a true wilderness experience this holiday season, look no further than the North Cascades National Park in Washington. With grizzly bears, grey wolves, and lynxes, this area is home to some of America’s most deadly (and beautiful) animals. Ross Lake offers fishing and boating activities, while kayakers and rafters can enjoy the thrill of white water rapids on the Skagit and Stehekin Rivers.
