Petrified logs on the bluff above the Columbia River at Ginkgo Petrified Forest State Park

Ginkgo Petrified Forest Interpretive Center

Photo: Kiet Ho via Google Maps

The Ginkgo Petrified Forest Interpretive Center sits on a basalt cliff above the Columbia River at Vantage, right where I-90 crosses the river. Washington State Parks runs it as part of Ginkgo Petrified Forest State Park, a National Natural Landmark, and the building itself is a piece of history, begun by the Civilian Conservation Corps in 1937.

It makes an easy stop on a drive across the state. Inside, displays, videos and park staff explain how a 15 million year old forest turned to stone and how the Ice Age floods carved the canyon you are looking at. Outside, you can touch petrified wood, picnic with a view of the river and see ancient rock images rescued from the rising waters behind Wanapum Dam.

What You’ll See

  • Exhibits and videos: Indoor displays on the petrified forest and the Ice Age floods, with staff on hand to answer questions.
  • Petrified wood up close: Specimens outside the center that you are welcome to touch.
  • Petroglyphs: In 1958 and 1959, before Wanapum Dam flooded their original site along the river, volunteers cut rocks bearing nearly 100 Indigenous images from the basalt and moved them to a spot by the museum, where they remain on view.
  • The view: A sweeping look at the Columbia River and cliffs that floodwaters cut up to 600 feet above the river.
  • Trailside Museum and Trees of Stone Interpretive Trail: Two miles west of the center, this 1.25 mile trail built by the CCC winds through an ancient fossil bed with dozens of exposed petrified logs.

The Story Behind It

Between 15 and 16 million years ago, this dry country was a warm, swampy forest of elm, sycamore, walnut and ginkgo, joined by logs of spruce, redwood and Douglas fir washed down from higher ground. State Parks calls it a “rafted forest” for that reason. About 15.4 million years ago a lava flow sealed the swamp, and silica from the cooling basalt slowly replaced the wood, preserving it in stone.

In 1932, George Beck, a teacher at the state normal school in Ellensburg that became Central Washington University, and four students uncovered a two foot log that proved to be the first complete petrified ginkgo log ever recorded. Beck pushed for protection, the state acquired the land in 1935, and CCC crews built the Trailside Museum, the trail and, starting in May 1937, the building that is now the interpretive center, finished with Works Progress Administration help in 1938. After being doubled in size, it was dedicated as the Ginkgo Petrified Forest Interpretive Center in 1953. State Parks notes this is the only park in its system where building interpretive facilities was the main purpose of the CCC’s work.

Tips for Your Visit

  • The center is open seasonally, and its days and hours change through the year. Check the State Parks page before you go.
  • Washington State Parks requires a Discover Pass for vehicle access to the park.
  • Schools and groups can contact park staff to schedule a tour.
  • Make time for the Trees of Stone Interpretive Trail two miles west, and look to nearby Wanapum Recreation Area for camping and water access.

Plan Your Visit

Address: 630 Ginkgo Ave, Vantage, WA 98950
Phone: 509.856.2290
Website: parks.wa.gov
Hours and admission: Check the museum website for current days, hours, and admission before you visit.
Directions: View on Google Maps