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The crown jewel of Washington is Mount Rainier National Park. With a picture-perfect volcanic peak, gorgeous mountain backdrop, and convenient proximity to Seattle, Mount Rainier has virtually everything you could want in a national park.

Still, Mount Rainier is not without drawbacks, many resulting from the park’s consistent popularity. Just this year, Mount Rainier National Park is implementing a fire ban that could affect campers, while inclement weather at Mount Rainier has prompted several rescues and warnings from park officials.

Savvy and experienced travelers have long known that the U.S. has several underrated national parks that may be even better than Mount Rainier, and would serve well as alternative outdoor destinations. But you may not be as familiar with the extraordinary outdoor destinations in Washington’s state park system. One of the best — and most unique — of these is the otherworldly Sun Lakes-Dry Falls State Park.

Sun Lakes-Dry Falls’ distinctive terrain creates an exquisite profile that can conjure just as much awe as the towering Mount Rainier. And with tons of fun and memorable activities for visitors to experience, Sun Lakes-Dry Falls State Park has a strong case for being Washington’s brightest hidden gem.

This Underrated Washington Park Is A True Geological Oddity

Far from the snow-capped peaks of the Cascade Mountains, Sun Lakes-Dry Falls State Park is situated in an often-overlooked region of Washington known as the Channeled Scablands. In contrast to Washington’s famous Pacific Northwest forests and mountains, the Channeled Scablands sit in a relatively flat and sparse area around Spokane and the Columbia River Plateau. Despite the region’s apparent lack of natural attractions, however, the Channeled Scablands tell one of the most interesting geological stories in the entire state.

Being so flat, this region was more easily molded by gargantuan glaciers moving across the landscape during the previous ice age. The aftereffects of glaciation are still quite apparent throughout the Channeled Scablands, nowhere more so than Sun Lakes-Dry Falls State Park. At its core, the park preserves the imprint of one of the single most impactful events on the landscape of what is today Washington State. Around 13,000 years ago, a massive glacial dam broke and unleashed an unimaginably large cascade of water onto the surrounding terrain.

Across the planet today, you can find plenty of giant waterfalls that make the famed Niagara Falls look small. But the waterfall unleashed by this glacial dam break is believed to be four times as large as the mighty Niagara. The waterfall itself has long since receded (though imagine what kind of spectacle that would make), but its imprint remains etched into the landscape in the form of a 400-foot cliff rising above the park’s dramatic gorge. Thanks to this geological prominence, Sun Lakes-Dry Falls State Park is part of the Ice Age Floods National Geologic Trail, which preserves many of the most striking ice age remnants across Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and Montana.

Discover Some Very Different Washington State Views

The gorgeous ice age cliffs of Dry Falls are just one of many magnificent geological wonders you’ll find in Sun Lakes-Dry Falls State Park. The ice age floods that formed the park’s distinctive landmarks were far too large to stop within these comparatively few acres, and across the park’s viewpoints, you can find wonderful views of Washington’s most underrated natural area. Sun Lakes-Dry Falls sits within a much larger ice age remnant called the “Grand Coulee,” an ancient riverbed that today takes the form of an intricate network of canyons.

Measuring around 50 miles long and 10 miles wide, the Grand Coulee is a record-holding ancient natural wonder that many describe as the “Grand Canyon” of Washington. Much of the rock that was carved by the ancient floods consists of volcanic basalt, creating a distinctive dark shade among the park’s many cliffs and gorges.

Though the waterfall is long gone, the Dry Falls cliffs still bear a scenic lake, with around 73,000 feet of shoreline. And the eye-catching cliffs of Dry Falls are far from the park’s only impressive rocky features. Elsewhere in the park sits the mighty Umatilla Rock, a tall and thin “blade” of mesa right underneath Dry Falls. With its steep sides, flat top, and pillar-like shape, Umatilla Rock is a striking doppelgänger of the prominent mesas of Arizona and Utah, only here dressed in ghostly dark basalt instead of bright red sandstone.

Experience Some Of Washington’s Most Unique Outdoor Adventures

Though quite distinct, Sun Lakes-Dry Falls is arguably as photo-worthy as more famous Washington icons like Mount Rainier. However, while you can certainly spend your visit to Sun Lakes-Dry Falls State Park taking nothing but amazing shots for your Instagram or TikTok page, the park also has plenty of top-notch recreational activities to engage in.

The park’s combination of epic ice age gorges and relatively flat surrounding terrain has bequeathed several excellent hiking trails, all of which showcase one or more of its impressive views and geological wonders. The Dry Falls Visitor Center and the Camp Delany Retreat Center both highlight exceptional views of the park’s ice age geology, while offering informative exhibits and even reservable spaces.

During your visit to the park, you might also enjoy activities like:

• Biking
• Boating
• Birdwatching
• Kayaking
• Paddling
• Metal detecting

Sun Lakes-Dry Falls State Park has plenty of pristine natural settings for true outdoors types to enjoy. However, the park is also home to the Sun Lakes Park Resort, which offers a much more modern touch of hospitality to the sublime scenery. Though the resort sits within the park boundaries, it’s also privately owned, which means you don’t need to pay the state park entry fee to get there.

The resort has plenty of excellent lodging and dining options, as well as fun, family-friendly activities. As if that wasn’t enough, the Sun Lakes Park Resort is also home to the Vic Meyers Golf Course, where you can enjoy a terrific day of golf amid some of the most remarkable scenery in Washington.