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You approach through a large field.
You seem to climb forever, around and around.
You view 200 miles from the top on a clear day, and it resembles a stormy sea.
| What: Steptoe Battlefield Photos
An old mountain of pink granite was buried in
lava and the silt of floods. Erosion revealed 1,000 feet of its top again. Its total
elevation is 3,612 feet. The butte was used as a reconnaissance point by the US troops of Colonel
E.J. Steptoe and was thereby named after the Colonel himself. General Steptoe lost a
battle with the local Indians and his career at nearby battlefield monument at site of
battle in Rosalia (a good picnic spot with good view of surrounding area). Now all similar
geological features are called steptoes. Children seem to love this trip. Bird watching,
hang-gliding, paragliding, remote/control flying machines, hiking, picnicking, & great
views. There used to be a large Hotel at the top that people came to from far away to
party at. Imagine the horses riding up the long rough spiral road in the dark hearing the
parties going on hoping to arrive there soon. The hotel was owned by Cashup Davis a local
farmer that was famous for his farm's productivity, but mainly for always paying cash.
See
the grain elevator off the freeway with the huge letters on it, "CASHUP". There
is a 3 1/2 mile road to the top of the butte. An interpretive sign is located there. There
is a small picnic area (with a few barbeque grates) and two vault toilets. The towers at
the top are microwave.Virgil Mcroskey, a friend of
Cashup bought the Steptoe Butte and McCroskey State Park
for the state so people could enjoy it forever. More details
Native American history: Cashup
Davis history: |
| Where: Look on a map south of Spokane about 40 miles. You
can take back roads or the Hwy to Pullman which has signs to Steptoe and the battlefield.
The park is approximately 30 miles from Pullman on the road between Colfax and
Oakesdale.
N 47° 01.956' W 117° 17.785 |
| Cautions: Always seems to take longer to drive than you
would expect. There is no water available. |
| List: Water, food, binoculars, & camera. Bring your bike and
fly down the circular downhill. |
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