Whiskey Dick Wildlife Area Overland Tour – 7.21.2007

After a night of camping along the Yakima River, my daughter and I got up early, broke camp, and headed to Ellensburg, Washington, to meet up with the Northwest Backroad Drivers group to explore the Whiskey Dick Wildlife Area just east of Ellensburg.

After a stop for a quad iced americano and to top off the gas tank, we pulled into the Bar 14 Restaurant for the morning meet up. We were running a little late by the time we arrived. Already eating breakfast were Rich (driving a Jeep Grand Cherokee), Jan and their 4 year old granddaughter Tara and Jerry, our tour leader for the weekend (driving his Ford Bronco II).

After chit chatting and a hearty breakfast, we headed out of town on the Old Vantage Highway. Out in the distance, we could see and would soon pass the Wild Horse Wind Farm. The weather couldn’t have been any better (especially for a west-sider like me) – partly sunny and temperatures in the low ’80s and no rain.

We entered the Whiskey Dick Wildlife Area just past the wind farm at an area listed on a map as “Whiskey Dick Corrals.” From the entrance, we climbed up and down several ridges, followed the Whiskey Dick Creek canyon, then up and down more ridges before following Spring Cayuse Creek canyon. Finally, we climbed out and reached the Gingko Petrified Forest State park’s backside overlooking the Columbia River below. At this point, we turned around because we could not determine if vehicle access was allowed into the park.

From the state park, we backtracked a little way to Spring Cayuse Creek and made our way in a northerly direction until we reached the Whiskey Dick Creek canyon, which led us down to Whiskey Bay on the Columbia River.

From Whiskey Bay, we made our way northwesterly, following the ridgeline south of the Skookumchuck Creek canyon. We eventually came across a road into the canyon that showed as a dead end on my GPS and map but a through road on Jerry’s map. We were there to explore, so we followed the unknown route. This road led us out of the Whiskey Dick Wildlife Area and into the Quilomene Wildlife Area, eventually connecting with the Army Road. We followed the Army Road east as far as we could go before we reached a locked gate near the Columbia River, where Quilomene Creek empties into the river. On our way down through the canyon, a small herd of bighorn sheep was keeping an eye on us as we passed by.

From the Columbia River, we followed the Army Road along ridge tops and a few canyons until we reached Parke Creek Road, which leads back to town.

While on Army Road, I noticed the occasional lack of power when trying to accelerate. I stopped several times and couldn’t isolate the problem. Finally, my Land Cruiser suddenly lost all power while heading down Parke Creek Road. Immediately after opening the hood, I saw that the positive battery terminal clamp had broken (a maintenance item I had been neglecting – shame on me). Luckily, I could modify the clamp and connect all the required wires to make my way out to Ellensburg.

Once we arrived at an auto parts store in Ellensburg, I tried every possible in-stock configuration to secure my battery without luck. I eventually resorted to using a heavy duty black rubber bungee with wood jammed along each side of my battery. Good enough for the next day’s adventure.

When we returned to town and repaired my Land Cruiser, it was a little late to seek a campsite for the night as originally planned. Jerry offered his yard in Yakima to camp out (thank you, Jerry for the offer); however, we opted to get a room in town for the night. A shower and a bed sure felt good that night.

For a recap of driving conditions. If you are worried about getting scratches in your vehicle, the Whiskey Dick Wildlife Area is not the place to visit (unless you are riding in your buddy’s vehicle). The roads see little, if any, maintenance. They are dusty, rocky, and rutted. You will travel through tunnels of brush that will scratch your vehicle on the top and both sides. If the brush doesn’t scratch your vehicle (and it will), the sage brush will. You will need a high clearance vehicle to navigate the ruts and washouts, but a four wheel drive is not necessary (well, maybe if it is wet or snowing, or you drop a wheel in a washout or rut). Low range gearing is nice for some of the descents.

As far as navigation, the roads are not marked, and details on maps and GPS will vary. I recommend that you obtain several different maps to navigate the area. A GPS is a nice tool to help determine which of three or more directions to head from an intersection. You will also have to stay only on the roads marked with a green dot.

Regarding communications, my cell phone had great service in all areas but the canyons.

The next day, we explored the Quilomene Wildlife Area.

For more pictures of this trip, please visit Whiskey Dick Wildlife Area Overland Tour Photos.

You can also read Jerry’s trip report at Exploring the Quilomene: Expedition.

The Whiskey Dick Wildlife Area is a fun place to explore and a beautiful place to visit. Go out and have some fun.