With the wildflowers out in full force and moderate temperatures this is the time to visit this part of the country. We parked on the big turn on the road to Rocky Coulee Recreation Area (PUD tent campground next to Ginko Petrified Forest State Park interpretive center along the Columbia River at Vantage) then hiked the road which was absolutely gorgeous in full bloom and everything green. I just hiked up to a high ridge overlooking the Columbia and hiked back- around 4-5 miles round trip. The only people I saw were some young ladies who apparently were too lazy to walk and drove up the road without waving or speaking a word. This is how I learned that you can drive through the gate at the bottom. Not sure why the state park allows that if its "backcountry" and there were so many obvious archaeological remains and pieces of petrified wood- but there you have it.
Despite ticks being out in full force in other parts of the desert, this hike was tick free since there is no water along it, there are little chance of them dropping on you while walking along the road, and even if you do get off trail the vegetation is usually fairly sparse. Though this is rattlesnake country I didn't see any of them either, only birds and deer tracks.
Some of the wildflowers I saw in bloom on this hike:
- Allium scilloides
- Balsamorhiza careyana
- Balsamorhiza hookeri
- Comandra umbellata
- Crepis modocensis
- Delphinium nuttallianum
- Erigeron poliospermus
- Eriogonum thymoides
- Nestotus stenophyllus
- Nothocalais troximoides
- Phlox caespitosa
- Phlox speciosa
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