All pictures herein have been taken with smartphone cameras
The four seasons of splendor in this region only make themselves known when you drive highways instead of the interstate. I have seen all these seasons in my time there as a field tech without the time to stop and enjoy it. I also got glimpses when I attended Central Washington University, albeit without a car to my name.
It is true the big name attraction out here is Grand Coulee Dam, and it also goes without saying Chelan and Leavenworth are sights all their own.
There are other places to pull over and capture scenery that don’t stand out on a map as much. Daroga State Park is one of the few well-established places along 97’s trek of the upper Columbia, while still getting the dramatic hillsides in view. Dry Falls and Steamboat Rock are also contenders, both not far from where US 2 and WA 17 meet.
It would be difficult to find a safe place to pull over, but there are a couple roads that made up shortcuts to and from Ephrata that I like: Bridgeport Hill Road to the north (on the way to Brewster), and McNeil Canyon Road to the east (on the way to Chelan). Both are arguably easier to drive than the nearby highways due to lighter traffic, yet at certain times of day they highlight their respective hills. If only there were places to pull over…
Joe R. Stead 