Beacon Rock State Park Park

Website: https://parks.state.wa.us/529/Beacon-Rock-Park

Hours: Open daily

Admission: Discover Pass required for vehicle parking on Washington State Parks

Beacon Rock State Park centers on Beacon Rock, a striking basalt volcanic plug on the north bank of the Columbia River in Washington State. The rock rises prominently above the river and is one of the most notable monoliths in the Columbia River Gorge.

The park’s main visitor feature is a maintained trail with switchbacks and stairways that leads to the top of Beacon Rock and provides panoramic views of the Columbia River Gorge. Short riverside trails and picnic areas are also available near the park entrance.

Beacon Rock was recognized for its geological and scenic significance and later managed as a state park to provide public access to the monolith and surrounding gorge landscape. Trails and park facilities were developed to enable safe ascent and riverfront recreation.

Beacon Rock State Park is located in the Columbia River Gorge on the Washington side of the river, adjacent to the river highway corridor and within driving distance east of the Portland metropolitan area.

• Prominent monolith: A volcanic plug rising 848 feet (259 metres) above the Columbia River, with a maintained trail and stairway to the summit.

Beacon Rock State Park lies on the north bank of the Columbia River along Washington State Route 14 (WA‑14) near the small town of North Bonneville/Beacon Rock. From Vancouver, WA drive east on WA‑14 for roughly 30-35 miles (about 50-55 km) to the park entrance; there is a parking area and the Beacon Rock trailhead is adjacent to the lot, only a short walk to the start of the trail. (The site is also reachable from Portland, OR by crossing into Washington and following WA‑14 east along the Columbia.)

• Start early in the day (weekday mornings are best) to secure limited parking at the trailhead and enjoy calmer conditions on the exposed summit trail.
• Plan to hike to the top rather than stopping at lower viewpoints-many visitors turn back early, but the summit switchbacks reward you with the best panoramic views of the Columbia River Gorge.
• If the main parking lot is full on busy summer weekends, try visiting later in the afternoon or park in nearby towns and use a short shuttle/taxi; avoiding peak mid-day times reduces crowding on the narrow trail.