Ginkgo Petrified Forest State Park Backcountry — Sunday, Mar. 22, 2026

Great driving conditions over Snoqualmie Pass today. Clear and dry. I parked in the lower lot near the vault toilet. Can’t report on conditions because I stopped at the rest area instead.
My goal was to find some early flowers and petrified wood. I was following Alps DT map, hoping to find the petrified log but I was blocked by about 40 big horn sheep. I’m sure there were more. They were up on the hillside and on the edge of the bluff, on both sides of the trail. One of the big ones was a little spicy so I kept my distance and decided to go back the way I came. Looks like they really like this bench. Next time I’ll take the old Jeep road in search of the log.
On my return, a pair of hikers came from behind me. They passed through the herd without any trouble.
It’s still early but there are some flowers to be found. Marmots near the TH, wrens and ravens along the way. No snakes and no ticks. I did have a layer of Deet for protection.