Brown hills and yellow trees reflected in a calm lake

Sun, snow and adventure for all seasons at these five state parks near Wenatchee

Located in Central Washington east of the Cascade Mountains, Wenatchee is known for diverse landscapes — rolling orchards and farmland, rugged peaks and wetland riverfronts. With 200 days of sunshine a year, spring flowers, fall color and great winter powder, this Pacific Northwest utopia includes five state parks that you won’t want to miss.

Rolling on the River: Five State Park Goals Near Wenatchee

Lincoln Rock, 20 min.

What to do:

  • Launch your boat or kayak and see if you can make out the park’s namesake rock formation. Pro tip: The best views of Honest Abe can be had from the middle of the river.
  • Ride bikes on the Rocky Reach Trail along the Columbia, about 20 miles round-trip to and from Wenatchee Confluence State Park.
  • Pedal a bit farther for a meal or a cup of coffee in downtown Wenatchee.
    A long dock out to the water with a hill on the other side of the water and foreground framed by trees.

Squilchuck, 20 min.

What to do:

  • Go mountain biking — while this park is a lesser-known gem, it's legendary in the mountain biking community and fat-tire biking community in winter.
  • Take a spring hike or trail run and see wildflowers, and then do it again in fall to see larches.
  • Sit on a picnic bench by the historic lodge and see if you can spot the Mason bees that have made their homes in the lodge’s support beams.
  • Snowshoe to your heart’s content in the winter.
  • Find peace in all seasons among the towering ponderosa pines and blankets of yellow balsamroot.
    A mid-century lodge with floor to ceiling windows on its main floor sits on a grass hill.

Daroga, 35 min.

What to do:

  • Save this trip for spring, when the park reopens from April to October.
  • Go for a swim or paddle in a sagebrush-surrounded oasis.
  • Lounge on the green lawns below the golden hills of Entiat and soak up the North Central Washington sunshine.
    A calm swim area and two rafters on a blue raft.

Ginkgo Petrified Forest and Wanapum Recreation Area, 65 min.

What to do:

  • Visit the Ginkgo Petrified Forest Interpretive Center where you can touch petrified wood and see the landscape carved by the Ice Age floods.
  • Head down the road to Wanapum and cool off in the Columbia River or camp there after catching a show at The Gorge Amphitheatre. 
    A petrified log sits on gravel in front of a chain rope with the Columbia River in the background.

Bridgeport, 90 min.

What to do:

  • Fish for rainbow trout, silvers and walleye. Then, tell your friends about the 50-pounder you wrangled for hours (after your phone camera died, of course).
  • When you're ready to face reality, bike the three-mile paved trail to Chief Joseph Dam. Be sure to check the schedule and attend a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers talk while you’re there.
    A landscape with golden hills
    Bridgeport landscape. By Audra Sims.
A brilliant sunrise reflected in a body of water with a dock, hills and tree in silhouette.
Parting shot: A brilliant sunrise over Wenatchee Confluence State Park. By Matt Phillips.

Originally published January 28, 2026

See blogs also related to...

Waypoints