Hiking Steamboat Rock at Banks Lake in Eastern Washington

Looking for more things to do in and around Steamboat Rock State Park?
Take a kayak trip on beautiful Banks Lake, and stay overnight at Spring Canyon Campground.

CURRENT INFO

Trip reviews and hiking tips for Steamboat Rock are available on the WTA (Washington Trails Association) website. A good trail map is available on the AllTrails website. For further information about Steamboat Rock State Park, including how to reserve a campsite, visit the Washington State Parks website. A version of this hike is also found in the book Moon Washington Hiking by Craig Hill.

GOOD TO KNOW

• Bring your Discover Pass. This covers the parking fee at Steamboat Rock State Park. If you don’t have a Discover Pass, you can purchase a $10 day pass from the automated machine in the parking lot. The parking lot is located near the boat launch, just past the Steamboat Rock Campground.
• Restrooms and water are available.
• Dogs on leash are allowed on the Steamboat Rock Trail. As always, please pick up after your pets.
• Pack plenty of water, hiking poles (recommended), extra layers, shade hats, and sunscreen. The Steamboat Rock trail offers little shade and can be quite hot in summer.
• This hike involves a steep climb up a trail of loose rock and dirt. Good shoes are a must. Hikers should be in good shape and able to safely maneuver up and down a steep, sometimes slippery incline.
• Watch for ticks. Wearing clothing that covers your legs can help, but it’s a good idea to check yourself and others, including pets, for ticks after the hike.

HIGHLIGHTS

Steamboat Rock is one of those trails where the views seem to get better with every step. Or if not better, at least equally enthralling. With towering basalt cliffs, vast meadows scattered with sagebrush, and serpentine islands dotting Banks Lake below, there’s plenty to capture your attention. And after climbing the rocky scree to reach the top, you’ll definitely feel you earned it.

THE KIDS’ TAKE

Both our boys agreed — this was a pretty fun trail! If your kids are into climbing and adventuring, they’ll likely agree. For the kids, scrambling up the steep scree to reach the top of Steamboat Rock was definitely a feature, not a bug. It also gave them a real sense of accomplishment when they reached the top.

Please note, however, that this climb isn’t appropriate for everyone. Kids should be physically able to climb safely and independently, and be trusted to stay well away from the edge at the top of the rock. While very young children can be carried, this presents its own challenges. I slipped and fell once on my way down, and my older son fell twice. We were unharmed, but I certainly wouldn’t want to do it with a child on my back.

WHILE YOU’RE HERE

Steamboat Rock State Park offers plenty to keep visitors busy. In addition to hiking, camping, boating, fishing, and summer swimming all vie for your attention. We took our kayaks out for a spin from nearby Northrup Point, and had a great time exploring the hidden nooks and crannies of Banks Lake.

If you plan to camp here, particularly over a summer weekend, reserve your campsite well in advance. On our trip, we camped at Spring Canyon Campground, located a couple of miles east of Grand Coulee above Lake Roosevelt. Spring Canyon is another great home base for exploring this fascinating region of Washington State.

Fourteen miles north of Steamboat Rock lies the Grand Coulee Dam, an awesome sight crossing the mighty Columbia River. Check out the visitor center and take a tour to better appreciate its massive scale. Looking for caffeine? Voltage Coffee House in the town of Grand Coulee is worth a stop, and offers pastries, fruit, and other goodies in addition to coffee.

On our final day in Grand Coulee, we headed to Steamboat Rock. We had already seen the massive basalt butte from below as we kayaked in Banks Lake the day before. Now we had the opportunity to climb to the summit and conquer it from above.

To reach the trailhead, a road leads from Highway 155 across a flat spit of land to the Steamboat Rock Campground. Ample parking was available across the road from the trailhead, just past the campground near the boat launch. We pulled on our day packs and headed out onto the trail.

Right from the Start, Steamboat Rock delivers fantastic views. Its rust-colored basalt columns, sometimes tinged green with algae, grew nearer as we followed the sandy path. Before long, the trail branched off to the right. We turned to follow it, and the real adventure began.

The trail turned from sandy to rocky, with jagged lava rocks lining the route. We hugged the basalt columns as the path gradually wound its way up the hillside. But it wouldn’t stay gradual for long…

Soon, the trail virtually disappeared. In its place was a jumble of rocks heaped around a bumpy, vertiginous cliff. OK, so maybe “cliff” is an exaggeration, but this was no ordinary trail. Luckily, the kids were more than up for the challenge. Six-year-old T eagerly got down on all fours, using his hands to propel himself up the mountainside.

At last, we reached the top. Well, almost. At this point, we weren’t yet at the summit, but this small valley between Steamboat Rock and the smaller butte to the south was a welcome reprieve, and a good chance to pause for a drink. Our dog, Buddy, lapped eagerly at his water. I had accidentally left his water dish in the car, but fortunately a small plastic bag from my backpack made a reasonable substitute.

After another steep, albeit much shorter, climb, the main trail to Steamboat Rock branched off to the right. This was our ultimate destination, but first we took a detour to the left, leading to the smaller butte seen in the photo above. I was enthralled by the view looking out across Banks Lake to the south. A large boulder at the edge of the butte provided the perfect place to sit and soak in the wonder that surrounded us.

As glorious as this view was, our friend, who had visited Steamboat Rock before and was now hiking it again with us, assured us that the views from atop Steamboat Rock were even better. We made our way back down the butte and turned northward, continuing on the main trail as it climbed gradually upward. An expansive field dotted with sagebrush and wildflowers greeted us.

As we walked further, views of Banks Lake opened up below. We saw the campground with its tiny RVs scattered across the green grass. Rocky peninsulas and islands appeared, and we could even see exactly where we had kayaked from Northrup Point the day before.

This was a place to linger. The views invited contemplation, although the boys were more concerned about a snack break. We also discovered that bugs apparently appreciate the high vantage point as well, as they swarmed near the edge of the cliff. We weren’t the only ones who noticed — swallows swooped and dove in the air around us, eager for a tasty snack of their own. Fortunately, the bugs seemed to congregate near the dropoff, and we found a peaceful spot to enjoy our treats nearby.

We didn’t end up doing the loop trail at the top of Steamboat Rock, although the adults wandered out to the northernmost tip for a final view. Instead, we turned and headed back the way we came. Loop trails are fun, but I find that hiking out and back offers its own rewards, including the chance to see the same landscape from a wholly new perspective.

Eleven-year-old J and I were at the back of the pack on the return trip. When we reached the steep path leading down, our pace slowed. The first segment was dry and dusty, making it especially slippery. Sure enough, I suddenly lost my footing, one foot flying forward while I landed hard on one hip, thrusting my hands behind to catch myself. Ouch! I was unharmed, but the palms of my hands ached from the impact.

Further along, I heard J cry out as he, too, slipped on the rocks. He fell twice during our final descent. Fortunately, he was able to quickly right himself and remained in high spirits. Even Buddy hesitated as he made his way down, unsure of his footing, although his four legs seemed to serve him better than our two.

Finally, we made it back to the sandy trail at the base of Steamboat Rock. The others were waiting patiently, and together we strolled along the easy trail back to the trailhead. The hard part was done, and now all I had to do was relax and enjoy the purple lupine that lined the path. From the parking lot, I took a final good look at Steamboat Rock rising majestically above the shrubland, a beautiful end to a wonderful hike.