While this little park has the fewest amenities of our recent park tours, I really liked it because…read moreit is incredibly peaceful. On a weekday afternoon, we had it to ourselves and were surrounded mostly by the sounds of nature. It is also another immaculate space. I'm really impressed by the city's careful cultivation of its green spaces. The disc golf seems a bit better than at Blue Heron mainly because the playing space doesn't overlap with the people lounging space. But you have to play entirely unshaded, so mid-day summer games are out. There's only a dock, 2 picnic tables with no grills, a restroom, and a nine-hole disc course. No playgrounds for the kids. There is also only a modicum of shaded areas. No real room for large gatherings unless people bring their own tents and chairs. However, I really enjoyed it and left with a desire to return again to enjoy the relaxation.

Pretty awesome course for beginners a a experienced disc golfers. You can choose…read moreFrom 1 of 3 courses

This Japanese Botanical Garden may be small, but it beautifully lives up to its name. Tucked away…read morein a peaceful setting, the garden offers a cozy, quiet escape with meandering walking paths, gentle streams, serene ponds, and even a few graceful koi fish gliding through the water. A charming little fountain adds a soft, soothing soundscape to the experience. Though seating is limited, there are a few well-placed benches where you can pause and take in the calm surroundings. The zen garden areas feature carefully raked sand, textured stones, and layered designs that invite stillness and reflection. You'll also find stone pagoda-like statues, stacked stone towers, and miniature trees that complete the traditional Japanese aesthetic. It's a lovely, peaceful retreat--perfect for a slow stroll, quiet contemplation, or simply enjoying a moment of calm. While it's not large, its thoughtful design and serene atmosphere make it well worth the visit.

Beware: information on the city website is incorrect, not open on weekends. We tried two days in a…read morerow to go, wasn't open at 10:30am on Saturday or Sunday. Really disappointed as this had been one of our main destinations on our trip.

Such a cute neighborhood oasis surrounded by private houses. You wouldn't even know it existed!…read more Green, open space for picnics under the shade of trees, or space to run and frolic and play. Small playground, unfortunately all exposed to the sun, making it hot and hard to keep little ones out long. One bench and one picnic table allow for mini gatherings, but bring a blanket and there is space enough for everyone! Friendly neighborhood as we were kindly and respectfully greeted by a teenage boy walking through, along the one path. Ample street parking! One paved path from the street to the playground, through the grassy expanse, with a fork towards the break in the fence, presumably for the homes/neighbors. Great, cozy spot for a road trip break!

Needed a weekend getaway and decided to visit Central Washington. Potholes seemed like an…read moreinteresting place to visit. Stayed in the campsite area. While the description said three tents I'd be wary unless they were all small. All campsites near me had large fire rings with built in adjustable grills. A few amenities, but pretty low key. I stayed next to the water not far from the boat launch. Not too noisy, pretty quiet most of the time. There are vault toilets not far away. Stayed two nights and did not use the showers. There is a nice trail at the edge of the camping area that runs along the water. This was a nice jumping point to several scenic attractions nearby. There is a country store nearby to pick up firewood, drinks, snacks, last minute supplies, and large portions of biscuits and gravy or other hot food. Nothing else was that close by.

Beautiful state park, with clean bathrooms. I recommend avoiding holiday times as it's very…read morecrowded, and some neighbors can be a bit disrespectful.

Waterfalls aren't exactly common in the desert of central washington, so anyplace you can find the…read moresound of cascading water is special. Finding Summer Falls may be tricky, but the surrounding country roads that cut through coulees and follow abandoned railroad routes are very picturesque, so I would plan to get a little lost and enjoy it. The park is like an oasis at the end of a rocky, dusty driveway: a well-irrigated grassy park with trees, picnic tables, restrooms and a pavilion, all nestled up against Billy Clap Lake and the waterfall. Note: the only water recreation here is fishing: there is no beach and people have been seriously injured from falling on the slippery rocks of the falls. The falls are, however, very accessible if you have two legs and don't mind the "KEEP OUT" signs. If you are looking for desert hikes, there are plenty nearby (including Sun Lakes/Dry Falls state park), but not at Summer Falls. This park is a pretty sedentary place unless you are throwing frisbee or football in the grassy park. These falls and the depth of Billy Clap Lake they flow into were created when an irrigation canal was built to bring water from Banks Lake (itself a product of water diverted from the Grand Coulee Dam) to what was then dry, rocky, sagebrushy non-farmland further south. There is also a tiny, discrete power plant just up the canal from the falls. So the lake is a coulee that is full of water, and the water coming down the falls is what is leftover from the canal after the power plant takes it's share. It sounds pretty industrial, but it's not: the irrigation and power generating functions of the water are invisible at Summer Falls. Summer Falls is a good place--maybe the only place--to enjoy the relaxing sound of a waterfall amidst the area's desert landscape.

Wow. Extremely hard to find, but well worth the wild goose chase…read more This is a waterfall created by one of the many dams in Washington. There's a nice park and swimming area, a little hut for picnics, and bathrooms. You can swim/hike over to the waterfall and even walk behind it (if you blatantly ignore the signs that prohibit this activity, that is)! It was surprising how many people were here, what with how out-of-the-way it was. Glad we found this little gem! Minus one star for having thistles in the grass. My flip-flopped feet did not appreciate.

I was very impressed with the parks here in Moses Lake! They are well maintained and beautiful! We…read morewent to this park to get a different angle of Moses Lake itself. The view of the lake here is beautiful in addition to a very cute little amphitheater here for summer concerts I imagine. The park also has a Farmers Market which is a good fit since this park is fairly spacious!

This park offers a lot of activities here. Tennis, Volley…read moreball, Basketball, Swimming, Skateboard, BBQ, Picnic, Water park, Outdoor Theater...

There is a pull-off from West McManamon Road where you can park your car as you visit Drumheller…read moreChannels National Natural Landmark. I had been debating about whether to stop here after hiking some of the trails past the main entrance of the Columbia National Wildlife Refuge and decided to stop because the pull-off had ample space for me to park and a sign denoting the pull-off corresponding to the National Natural Landmark was easy to spot from the road. From the parking area there is a short gravel path to a vista/viewing point that looks out over the channeled scablands. This viewing area has a few informational placards with information about the history of the area and about the importance of the natural habitat the area provides for wildlife. A number of small trails branched away from the vista/viewing point that I chose not to explore. I enjoyed stopping here and it tickled my tastebuds to do more exploring in the vein of past geology projects of mine. In my sedimentology and stratigraphy course as an undergraduate training in geology and geophysics one of my focus projects was on the channeled scablands. I chose the topic because the word scablands was not familiar to me. Funny enough, the channeled scablands ended up being in my home state (Washington State)! So stopping here carried a large sentimental meaning to me. Even if the channeled scablands have not been a focus of your professional activities I recommend stopping here. The location provides a good view of the scablands and a great cursory background of the importance of the area in understanding Earth's (natural) history.

Excellent view of the columns We loved the ride and took…read morepictures of the formations. However we didn't get to see the tall ones or maybe the shadows did not allowed a great view

Lovely respite on a hot summers day. For 9 years I've enjoyed camping near the gorge over Labor Day…read moreWeekend but haven't ventured over to the water until this year when a neighbor convinced me it was time to check it out. Wanapum Dam keeps this portion of the Columbia River from flowing and thus creates a lake type setting for water recreation and relaxation. I'm so glad I was finally able to check it out. The water was refreshing (72-74 degrees or so) and people were out on the water on boats, kayaks, paddle boards, jet skis, and big floating birds etc. You'll need to bring or purchase a WA state parks pass for $10/day or $30/year. There is a nice big grassy area for playing bocce ball, frisbee, football, or whatever your heart desires. People had camp stoves and were cooking and picnicking, while others just lounged about. All in all it was a great place to be by the water.

I have been in this state park on numerous occasions. Take my airstream and hang out. It's a…read moregreat place to stage for traveling up and down the river. RV sites are large and open for the most part with electric, water and sewer. The winds at night are a riot during the hot parts of the summer. They blow like crazy. There is a day park separate from the RV park that you can walk to to swim and/or just relax. During the summer it is always crowded. Vantage has a gas station with food if you need it. Gorge is very close. Across the river are parks that are supported by Grant County PUD which are very nice and usually not many people. I'm impressed with the money and resources that Grant County PUD has put into the area. Just south of the Wanapum on the same road is a small park on a lake (small) that no one is ever there. Called the cove. If you have a boat you are in heaven with the Colombia River at your call.