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State Park Link:
Ginkgo Petrified Forest State Park
Nearby Parks:
Schaake State Wildlife Recreation Area
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| State Park Contact Information: |
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Ginkgo Petrified Forest State Park
4511 Huntzinger Road
Vantage, Washington 98950
Phone: 509-856-2700
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| Adopt-A-Park Contacts: |
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Photography: add your photos
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| State Park Reservations: |
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Reservations: 
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| State Park Overview: |
| Ginkgo Petrified Forest State Park is a 7,470-acre park with year-round camping at Wanapum recreational area. The park features 27,000 feet of freshwater shoreline on the Wanapum Reservoir on the Columbia River. Petrified wood was discovered in the region in the early 1930s, which led to creation of the park as a national historic preserve. Ginkgo Petrified Forest is a registered national natural landmark. It is regarded as one of the most unusual fossil forests in the world.
Park hours/updates:
Summer: 6:30 a.m. to dusk.Winter: 8 a.m. to dusk.
Camping at Wanapum:Check-in time: 2:30 p.m.Check-out time: 1 p.m. Quiet hours: 10 p.m. to 6:30 a.m. |
| Nature of the Area: |
| Wildlife Mammals Birds Fish & Sea Life? Badgers? Bobcats? Coyotes? Deer or Elk? Marmots? Muskrats? Rabbits? Raccoons? Skunks? Chukars? Crows or Ravens? Doves or Pigeons? Ducks? Eagles? Geese? Gulls? Hawks? Herons? Hummingbirds? Jays? Owls? Quail? Snipes? Woodpeckers? Wrens? Clams? Bass? Bluegill? Bullhead? Catfish? Crappie? Perch? Salmon? Steelhead? Sturgeon? Trout? Walleye
Environmental Features Physical Features Plant Life ? Douglas Fir? Ponderosa Pine? Apple? Ash? Birch? Maple? Oak? Poplar? Lupines? Paintbrush? Thistle? Poison Oak |
| Reviews By Park Visitors: |
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the best examples of petrified wood that I have ever seen. The movie about the floods is also excellent. russell walker
(name not given)
20-Jul-2008
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Extremely interesting
Great examples of petrified wood. Interesting location. Adjoining mmineral store sells specimens collected locally.
Written by Russ from Chapel Hill NC
24-Jan-2009
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It was great
My class went on a field trip there and it was amazing. The petrified wood really was awesome.
Written by Sadie Claire
26-May-2009
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| Camping: |
| Camping Fees : Please note that the following general fee information is not customized for each individual park, so not all fees will apply to all parks (for example, primitive campsite and dump station fees listed apply only to parks that have primitive campsites and dump stations). An additional $1 per night is added to the basic camping fees listed below at this high-use park. Basic camping fees are:
Standard campsite, $15.
Utility campsite, $21.
Primitive campsite (accessible by motorized/non-motorized vehicles) and for water trail camping, $10
An additional $3 fee (standard) or $5 fee (utility) may be charged for select premium campsites at some parks.
Maximum eight people per campsite.
Second vehicle: $10 per night is charged for a second vehicle unless it is towed by a recreational vehicle. Extra vehicles must be parked in designated campsite or extra vehicle parking spaces.
Dump stations: Year-round dump station fees are $5 per use. If you are camping, this fee is included in your campsite fee.
More about park hours : Check-in time is 2:30 p.m., and check-out time is 1 p.m.Quiet hours are from 10 p.m. to 6:30 a.m. Length of stay: you may stay up to ten consecutive days in any one park during the summer; the stay limit is extended to 20 days between Oct. 1 and March 31. Campsite Information : The Wanapum recreation area has 50 utility sites and two restrooms. All sites have full hook-ups. Maximum site length is 60 feet (may have limited availability). Tenters are allowed to use the sites but must pay full fee.
The campground is subject to high winds, especially in the evening. Campers should secure tents and light-weight articles.
The park is heavily used during Gorge concert season. Facilities fill early on weekends.
To reserve a campsite for dates between May 15 and September 15, call (888) CAMPOUT or (888) 226-7688. |
| Picnicking: |
| There are 57 unsheltered picnic tables, available first-come, first-served. The park is heavily used during Gorge concert season, and fills early on weekends. |
| Boating: |
| There is one watercraft launch with two ramps in the park.
A daily watercraft launching permit and a trailer dumping permit is available at the park. Annual permits also may be purchased at State Parks Headquarters in Olympia, at region offices, online, and at parks when staff is available. |
| History of the Area: |
| The park was set aside as a historic preserve when remains of a fossil forest were unearthed during highway construction in the 1930s. Petrified wood from many different trees are common in the area, but specimens of petrified Ginkgo are rare. Many buildings on the premises owe their origin to the work of the 1930s Civilian Conservation Corps. |
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...vacation cabin, weekend getaway, log cabin rental, romantic cottage, vacation home, resort, hotel, motel, bed and breakfast, country inn, campground, RV park, horseback riding stable, canoe livery, river rafting, outfitting, sporting goods store, guide service, RV rental, etc read more.... |
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| Related Links: |
| A Touch of Tuscany - View Lot for Sale in Kittitas Valley of Eastern Washington - View Lot for Sale in Kittitas Valley of Eastern Washington ... Horse Trail Kittitas County Area Parks Links Ginkgo Petrified Forest State Park ? Ironhorse Trail State Park ? Lake Easton State Park ? ... | | Fossilized Plants - ... Of Petrified Ginkgo beckii Maidenhair Trees During The Fall Winter Ginkgo Petrified Forest State Park In Washington Stromatolites: Ancient Cyanobacteria Stromatolites In Glacier National Park ... | | LIVING FOSSILS AT PALOMAR COLLEGE - ... sediments and lava flows near the Columbia River Gorge of central Washington. Ginkgo Petrified Forest State Park at Vantage, Washington, on the basalt bluffs overlooking the Columbia River Gorge ... | | GINKGO BILOBA -The Ginkgo Pages-Links - Ginkgo biloba -The Ginkgo Pages-: Links. Homepage in English, German, French and Dutch. ... some samples of Ginkgo wood and fossils Ginkgo Petrified Forest State Park. In the park among others Ginkgo ... | | Official State Dinosaurs - Dinosaur Interplanetary Gazette - Dinosaurs by State showing the official Dinosaur and Official Fossil ... Dinosaur Fossils: The Sort of Official State Dinosaur and Fossil List. Book 5: Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix The ... | | Petrified Wood from Western Washington - You can find and identify petrified wood in Western Washington. Discovery of new collection site ... State" they think of the Ginkgo Petrified Forest State Park , Saddle Mountain, and Yakima ... | | Channeled Scablands - Columbia Plateau - Lake Missoula (Schwert): Links - Internet resources and links on the Channeled Scablands and Columbia Plateau of Washington State and ... contains useful links outward. Ginkgo Petrified Forest State Park A descriptive page about ... | | Kittitas County Recreational Opportunities - ... 8th Avenue west to exit Highway 97 (the Blewett Highway) - watch for signs. Ginkgo Petrified Forest State Park - Located just before you reach Vantage (traveling east on the Vantage Highway) this ... |
| Nature Programs: |
| The park features an interpretive center. Hours vary with the season. Group tours are available for a fee and by advanced appointment only. For information, call the park at (509) 856-2700. |
| Area Attractions: |
| Trails Water Activities Other ? 3 mi. Hiking Trails? Boating (freshwater)? 1 boat ramp (freshwater)? Fishing (freshwater)? Personal Watercraft (freshwater)? Water Skiing (freshwater)? Bird Watching? Interpretive Activities? Museum? Wildlife Viewing
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| Directions: |
| Located appoximately 30 miles east of Ellensburg, Wash., on the Columbia River.
From east or west on I-90: Wanapum recreation area: Take exit #136. Follow signs south on Huntzinger Rd. three miles to the park entrance.
Ginkgo Interpretive Center: Take exit #136 north through Vantage one mile to Ginkgo. |
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