Post Summary: What To Expect at Maryhill Stonehenge in Washington State

Did you know that even still today, people don’t actually know why the stonehenge in England was built?

Some speculate it was for ceremonial purposes, others to track eclipses, but everyone agrees that the beauty of the structure is incomparable.

Since the first time we discovered there was a replica of the Stonehenge made in Washington state, we knew we needed to go visit there. We imagined the sun rising, peeking through the stone walls and bringing light to this awesome structure.

Visiting here was also a good excuse for us to pretend like we were off in a distant land, but in reality, we’re only a few hours from our apartment. This place, while it may be slightly off the beaten path, was worth the detour.

Are you ready to take a Saturday and transport yourself far far away? Stay awhile and we’ll convince you to visit Maryhill Stonehenge!

First, Some Facts About Maryhill Stonehenge:

The stonehenge was completed in 1929
It is made as a replica of the neolithic ruin in England
It is dedicated as a memorial for those who lost their lives in WWI from Klickitat County
Admission is free!
The Maryhill Museum of Art is nearby and has beautiful permanent collections from Native American Communities and other places around the world.
It’s a solid 4-hour drive from Seattle and definitely not on the way to anything. (We took a 2-hour detour to come to see this place) However, I think it’s a lot easier if you are coming from Portland. You have lots to see along Highway 84 that way.

What To Expect At Maryhill Stonehenge

Sunrise at Maryhill Stonehenge

When we first decided to see this place at sunrise, we had to backtrack our road trip plan. If we wanted to get there at 6 am, and it took 4 hours to reach…we had to leave Seattle by 2 am. (!!!)

So, as committed as we are, we woke up at 1:30 am to pack the final things in the car and get on the road.

When scheduling multiple stops on a road trip, it’s important to set attainable goals, take time to really experience each place, and use your time wisely!

When we plan our road trips, we like to use our favorite road trip apps and tools to help us be the most efficient with our time. Check them out at this post to help you in your own adventure!

Maryhill Stonehenge was the first stop on our 9-hour road trip to Boise, Idaho. Other planned stops were Bruneau Sand Dunes, Craters Of The Moon, and Shoshone Falls.

We decided to go camping with our friend, Emily, which was the best decision to really soak in all the beauty around us. We are planning on doing a lot more camping trips this summer!

Camping is a great way to experience nature, especially is visiting US National Parks if your thing!

Berty and I love to catch the sunrises and sunsets at new places.

There’s something about those golden hours that bring a new light (get it?) to the locations we see. These times generally also mean fewer crowds, so we have a chance to have it all to ourselves. If you didn’t read this earlier, for our drive to Maryhill Stonehenge, we woke up at 1:30 am and set off on our 4 hours drive from Seattle to Goldendale, Washington.

We armed ourselves with strong coffee, snacks within arm’s reach in the car, and pre-made playlists to keep us awake on the drive. We also didn’t bother to change into our day’s clothes. Berty and I drove in our pajamas until the very last minute. Ha!

If waking up for sunrise sounds enticing but more like a chore, we wrote a useful blog post on things we do to get up on early days like this. Read below!