Have you explored Washington state in the USA beyond the city of Seattle?
You could just take four days to explore this state and see a number of interesting attractions by easy drives either by driving out of Seattle eastward and then northward OR drive northwards from Columbia Gorge in Oregon towards Yakima and then go north-east first and then return westwards towards Seattle.
Grand Coulee Dam
Over many millions of years the Columbia river has cut a great gorge while flowing from Columbia lake to the Pacific. On its path now lies as many as 14 dams, the biggest being the (truly) Grand Coulee Dam, Coulee being Ravine in French.
Built almost a century ago during the Great Depression, the dam still provides electricity to a large part of north-west USA and Canada. It was an engineering marvel at the time, and a pioneer in solving the “holy grail” question of renewable energy – how to store excess power at night and use it when needed.
You could start at the Crown Point lookout, about 2 miles west of the dam, off WA-174. It gives you a great view of the dam and the town, and you can gauge how massive the dam is when you compare it with the town. The evening sun shows off the downstream side, while the morning sun shines on the upstream side.
Ah, the “holy grail” bit! Apart from the usual huge reservoir the dam also has a second one, a large lake called Banks lake, named after the engineer who built the dam. At night, when the demand for electricity is low, pumps drive water from the reservoir 280 feet up into Banks lake.
When energy demand peaks, this water runs down into turbines and generates extra electricity.
Even today this dam is the largest producer of hydro-electric power in the USA, plus the supplier of water for half a million acres of farmland.
After you have had your fill of the dam, you can drive on the shore of the Banks lake alongside the Grand Coulee, a huge trench cut through the lava-encrusted earth. This road will take you to the awesome Dry Falls, which was once bigger than today’s Niagara Falls. Back in the Ice Age the wall of ice holding back Lake Missoula gave way, releasing its water in a monumental cascade that devastated the landscape. From the edge of the hollowed-out ground you can look down on the plunge pools far below, and imagine the gigantic torrent that could have created them.
Wild Horse Monument
Not to be missed is the Wild Horse Monument, a 200 foot line of steel ponies standing on a ridge above, with a very deep and wide gorge, cut out over time by the Columbia river, on the other side. The ponies stand out against the skyline, very lifelike. You will be torn between admiring the ponies on one side, and marvelling at the enormous gorge on the other – both sights will take your breath away.
Soap Lake
Soap Lake is the Dead Sea on steroids!! It was formed by groundwater, loaded with minerals washed out of the surrounding rocks, leaching away hundreds of feet of basalt rock. It is called “Nature Spa” because of the healing effect of the water (highly alkaline – pH of 10) and the mud of the lake-bed. The water has layers of different chemical composition which never mix together. The lowest layer has the highest concentration of minerals. The local Indian tribes knew the healing properties of the water, and for centuries people have bathed in it for relief from skin, circulatory, digestive, and joint problems.
Snoqualmie Falls
Finally, the Snoqualmie Falls, a 268-foot waterfall on the Snoqualmie River, east of Seattle. The rim of its gorge offers several beautiful views of the falling water, which forms a lovely curtain when the flow is really strong. There is a nice sized park, an observation deck for some good photographs, a gift shop and plenty of food options. Parking is easy too. If you are really fit, you could take the trail down to the base of the falls, but it is steep and tough. If you are a hiking enthusiast, check out the best hikes in Washington State.
Do not miss out on these awesome sights!
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I’d love to explore the Washington State by car! I would visit Seattle first and then head to the Soap Lake and to the waterfall! Do you recommend to take this trip during the summer only?
I have heard that Washington is a beautiful state. I definitely want to see Seattle and then head out to the countryside and the shore. This dam looks amazing, definitely worth checking out.
We explored the Pacific Northwest for the first time last year with a trip to Oregon for our niece’s wedding. I’d love to visit WA as well. Thanks for a great post.
I LOVE the state of Washington. I’ve visited the North Cascades, Olympic, & Mount Rainier National Parks, all are so gorgeous. Seattle is also my favorite city in the US. Thanks for sharing!
Well worth getting out of the city and exploring the rest of the state. Love the idea of dinner while the laser show is being projected. They certainly seem to be making the most of the marketing opportunities at this dam.
I have been to the city of washington, but never the state. I would like to though, especially after reading your story 🙂 Wild Horse Monument is really pretty 🙂
These all look amazing! I’ve (typically) not gone beyond Seattle but clearly there are some really interesting landmarks to explore. Thanks for posting.
The Wild Horse Monument looks awesome! I hope to get to Seattle someday, and you’ve convinced me there’s a reason to go further north, too!
Washington is one of my favorite states! There is so much variety in climates and destinations. I love Seattle and the Columbia River, the islands and even eastern WA near Lake Chelan. Thanks for sharing these beautiful places.
This sounds like such an interesting place. I love how they’ve made the dam into a tourist attraction with a glass elevator and that you can watch a laser show on the walls of the reservoir. When I first saw those horse, I thought they were real! they are so lifelike. Do you know why they were put there? As a memorial? Or is it just a giant piece of sculpture work for people to enjoy?
No, I haven’t explored Washington State but it looks fab so maybe when life is back to normal, I should consider this. The scenery looks stunning. Plus I’ve always wanted to visit Seattle.
Beautiful photographs. Washington state surely looks like a perfect place for a road trip.
I lived in Washington state for 3 years, my parents for 20 and never got to see any of these spots until I was on an 18-month RV trip – Oregon and Washington have such great roads for exploring!
I never knew that there are so many beautiful things to do in Washington state other than Seattle. Dry Falls really look very beautiful and good to know that they are bigger than Niagara falls.
Washington state has so much nature and beauty all around. Driving to these places is such a great way to explore all that is there to see and do here.
I’ve been to Seattle but these places are breathtaking! Do you know if any are close to the coast? I’m planning on road tripping on the PCH and wonder if I can add one of these as a stop.
Thank you Alycia! No, none of these places are close to the coast. They are all in Central Washington State eastwards from Seattle.
Looks beautiful! would love to explore here one day
We visit my son in Seattle and using take a drive north. We’ve seen Deception Pass and Snoqualmie Falls. Thanks for the great ideas for our next trip!
I am excited to say that we are heading to Western Canada in the fall. Assuming no big change in the current situation. And if the U.S. border opens we would love to head south into Washington State. We have not really spent any time exploring the sights outside of Seattle. So this blog post puts a lot of great spots on the list to explore … if we get there!