Located near the Canadian border, this park seems fairly basic on the surface. Dig a little deeper (i.e. arrange a tour at the right time) and you’ll find some views unlike any other of Washington’s state parks.

A visit to Crawford State Park starts off with a simple-enough hiking trail …

But then you are confronted with this mysterious gate surrounding some steps down into the ground:

Fortunately, I had arranged for just such a tour. The tour explores roughly 1/3 of a mile underground in a cave first discovered around the beginning of the previous century. There are walkways and lights throughout the cave which make it easy to see the various limestone formations.

A highlight of the tour was at the end of the walkway. Our tour guide turned off the lights and turned on (I think … if I remember correctly) ultraviolet lights, which lit up some of the rock formations above us in this other-worldly fashion:

When nobody talks in the cave, it is incredibly quiet in there.

There’s also a hiking trail north of the cave which leads to this picnic table with a rather unusual view:

Okay, the view isn’t all that, but … notice that sign in the background?

I did mention this park was near the Canadian border. Yeah, it’s that near the border. (For the record, I did not pass the sign.)

For more information:

• State Parks web site