Sun Lakes-Dry Falls State Park - Umatilla Rock via Monument Coulee — Sunday, May. 4, 2025

Spent the weekend hiking and camping with a couple of families leading up to the delightful Northwest Trail Runs races on Sunday. (The navigation race was Sat.) Wildflowers were blooming, sun was shining and the trails offered a variety of stunning views and terrains.

The 7-mile route took us on a pretty great mix of the park’s best trails and views, ending at Camp Delaney. A few of the trails felt more like game trails, but it’s impossible to get truly lost here. (Was fun to get to explore with such a well-marked route.) Lovely flowers here and there, but the geology and birds were the real highlights. Plenty of coyote sign, but no sightings. None of us got any ticks, though I’m sure they were out there. Some mosquitoes but nothing too bad. Shared the trails with a few plein air painters and the sweetest mountain biking family a young toddlers rocking it on the handlebars. Also one state park volunteer doing some trail maintenance trimming sage brush back. Even ran into an old friend mid-race!

The climb up through the gap behind Umatilla Rock is definitely steep and crumbly, but I just took it slow. The sections of trail down in lush hollows are green and cool. Love this event and the park, even if the wind down this canyon can get super loud at night.

Apparently the navigation racers saw (heard?) some rattlesnakes but mostly off trail. It’s warm enough they’re out and about, though.

More Information on this Trip Report

• https://nwtrailruns.com/events/sun-lakes-trail-run/