Beacon Rock State Park is one of those places that just elicits peace the moment you step into it. The public day access area is simply bucolic. The cliffs across the river in Oregon (shown above), home to those amazing waterfalls, are the backdrop as you enter. According to the official site, Beacon Rock State Park is a 4,458-acre camping park. It is year-round and located in the heart of the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area. The park also includes 9,500 feet of freshwater shoreline on the Columbia River and more than 26 miles of roads and trails open to hiking, mountain biking, and equestrian use.
On both days we visited, we found ourselves the sole visitors in the park, or among only a few. It only enhances how spectacular it is. It is less than 45 minutes from a major city, so the emptiness is both surprising and welcome. And when you’re in the meadow, the vertical cliffs remind me of the meadow at Yosemite National Park. Sure, it’s not quite as dramatic. But there are no crowds. And it’s only 32 miles from our home.
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Pretty amazing. You guys have a way of finding these places, all over the country.
We have a lot of what we call, “adventure day,” where we leave the house with only a direction and no real plan. This spot, however, was recommended to us by the guy who cuts Racquel’s hair. 🙂