Sun Lakes State Park, Soap Lake, Washington

Sun Lakes State Park, Soap Lake, Washington

It is fishing and hunting season.  October is the perfect month for everything.  Even the night skies are usually clear and transparent for astronomy.  So this time of year is a busy month with all the outdoor activities.  We are thinking of visiting New Zealand, Australia, Chile and Argentina is future years so we can have TWO Octobers each year!!

Sun Lakes State Park is a busy park during the spring and summer months as Seattle area residents flee over the Cascades to escape the relentless grey skies and rain.  So if you plan on staying here from late April through Labor Day we recommend reservations.  The best times to visit is early April and September and October.

Now this is my reason for visiting Sun Lakes State Park.  Within the park boundaries is Dry Falls Lake which is a selective fishery lake for rainbows, browns, and even some tiger trout.  On this trip is was just rainbows.  The scenery is outstanding.

If fishing is not your "thing".  How about golf?  Sun Lakes State Park has a dandy little golf course with nine holes.  It is a narrow and long course that is much more difficult than it appears at first glance.  On warm days, check all sticks laying on the golf course to make sure they are not rattlesnakes. 

The park has three campgrounds.  A concessionaire campground near the entrance, the crowded old middle campground, and a new campground which is accessed by driving through the old campground. 

Here is the official link to the Sun Lakes State Park.  Now you are in the neighborhood of Banks Lake and Grand Coulee Dam.  Here is the link to Steamboat Rock State Park which is just north of Sun Lakes.  Be warned that it is just as popular in the summer time as Sun Lakes.  For those interested in boondocking the State Fish and Wildlife sites allow some boondocking in the area, but look carefully they are limited in size and many are closed to camping.

This is a great video showing the areas affected by the great floods of 10,000 years ago.  Ice Age Flood Video.  It opens with a view a rainbow over Dry Falls Lake.  As noted in my blog earlier my home "ecosystem" is that area affected by the Great Floods.  For those outside the area it will give places that you will want to further explore after you see the photos.  So write down those names and google them!  For those that live in the area the photos will give you a great perspective on the landscape. 

Dry Falls Lake is considered by many the heart of the Great Flood region. 

This is Bugaboo's second year of bird hunting.  He is a awesome hunting dog as they say.  However, as we all know it is those goof ball antics that make them YOUR dog.  This photo was taken about ten miles northwest of Sun Lakes State Park.  

This weekend is duck opener and then the following weekend is the annual trip to the Snake River for steelhead and pheasant.  There is a reason that for Lewis and Clark the Snake River was one of their favorite parts of the journey.