Grand Coulee Dam – 50 Miles Away
Sometimes called the eighth wonder of the world, Grand Coulee Dam is as high as a 46-story building. Constructed during the Great Depression, the dam features and excellent visitors’ center, showing actual movie footage shot during the construction of the dam in the 1930’s. The Dam also features a self-guided tour.
Grand Coulee Dam – 50 Miles Away
Sometimes called the eighth wonder of the world, Grand Coulee Dam is as high as a 46-story building. Constructed during the Great Depression, the dam features and excellent visitors’ center, showing actual movie footage shot during the construction of the dam in the 1930’s. The Dam also features a self-guided tour.
Blue Lake, Rhinoceros Cave – 7 Miles Away
One of the basalt flows in the Grand Coulee yielded an important piece of evidence regarding the kind of life existing when the Columbia Plateau was much younger. Not content to cover logs, trees and minor plants, this flow killed a rhinoceros and made a cast of the body for the record. The rhino is thought to have been covered by highly fluid, rapid-moving basalt. Before the rhino could find an escape it was trapped and destroyed. The fluids within the animal cooled and hardened the rock so that the cast took the shape of the rhino’s body. Today, near Blue Lake, the positions of the legs are marked by four cylindrical holes in the basalt, and the rounded contour of the body is arched over the leg cavities. One side of the cave is open, showing the shape of the rhino.
Blue Lake, Rhinoceros Cave – 7 Miles Away
One of the basalt flows in the Grand Coulee yielded an important piece of evidence regarding the kind of life existing when the Columbia Plateau was much younger. Not content to cover logs, trees and minor plants, this flow killed a rhinoceros and made a cast of the body for the record. The rhino is thought to have been covered by highly fluid, rapid-moving basalt. Before the rhino could find an escape it was trapped and destroyed. The fluids within the animal cooled and hardened the rock so that the cast took the shape of the rhino’s body. Today, near Blue Lake, the positions of the legs are marked by four cylindrical holes in the basalt, and the rounded contour of the body is arched over the leg cavities. One side of the cave is open, showing the shape of the rhino.
Steamboat Rock – 45 Miles Away
Winding around Banks Lake on the drive to Grand Coulee Dam, on the left lies Steamboat Rock, 800 feet high and 2 1/2 miles long, standing in the old channel (the dry coulee) of the Columbia River. Its layers of basalt look like the decks of a huge steamboat. Geologists think that thousands of years ago, when the river ran through what is now called the Grand Coulee, Steamboat Rock stood between two tremendous waterfalls, each of them 800 feet high and 2 miles wide. There is a State Park at the Rock which offers full facilities.
Steamboat Rock – 45 Miles Away
Winding around Banks Lake on the drive to Grand Coulee Dam, on the left lies Steamboat Rock, 800 feet high and 2 1/2 miles long, standing in the old channel (the dry coulee) of the Columbia River. Its layers of basalt look like the decks of a huge steamboat. Geologists think that thousands of years ago, when the river ran through what is now called the Grand Coulee, Steamboat Rock stood between two tremendous waterfalls, each of them 800 feet high and 2 miles wide. There is a State Park at the Rock which offers full facilities.
Banks Lake – 21 Miles Away
What do you like to catch? Bass, walleyes, trout, perch, crapppies, catfish, burbot, sunfish, carp, lake whitefish? Banks Lake winds its way down through the ancient and magnificent Grand Coulee, varying from one to two miles wide. The Coulee is rimmed with stupendous basalt cliffs. You can fish, water ski, bask in the sun, bird-watch, eagle-watch, deer-watch, camp, and explore all along its forty-mile length. Banks Lake was home to the largest large-mouth bass caught in Washington State in 1977.
Banks Lake – 21 Miles Away
What do you like to catch? Bass, walleyes, trout, perch, crapppies, catfish, burbot, sunfish, carp, lake whitefish? Banks Lake winds its way down through the ancient and magnificent Grand Coulee, varying from one to two miles wide. The Coulee is rimmed with stupendous basalt cliffs. You can fish, water ski, bask in the sun, bird-watch, eagle-watch, deer-watch, camp, and explore all along its forty-mile length. Banks Lake was home to the largest large-mouth bass caught in Washington State in 1977.
Sun Lakes State Park – 12 Miles Away
Sun Lakes-Dry Falls State Park is a 4,027-acre camping park with 73,640 feet of freshwater shoreline at the foot of Dry Falls. Dry Falls is one of the great geological wonders of North America. Carved by ice-age floods that long ago disappeared, the former waterfall is now a stark cliff, 400 feet high and 3.5 miles wide. In its heyday, the waterfall was ten times the size of Niagara Falls. Today it overlooks a desert oasis filled with lakes and abundant wildlife.
Sun Lakes State Park – 12 Miles Away
Sun Lakes-Dry Falls State Park is a 4,027-acre camping park with 73,640 feet of freshwater shoreline at the foot of Dry Falls. Dry Falls is one of the great geological wonders of North America. Carved by ice-age floods that long ago disappeared, the former waterfall is now a stark cliff, 400 feet high and 3.5 miles wide. In its heyday, the waterfall was ten times the size of Niagara Falls. Today it overlooks a desert oasis filled with lakes and abundant wildlife.
Lake Lenore Caves – 7 Miles Away
The Lake Lenore Caves are located on the east wall of the lower coulee above Alkali Lake, just off of Highway 17. There are several caves, and access to the superior ones is available by moderate climbing and walking along a well defined trail. It is best to wear good walking shoes as some parts of the path are covered with crushed basalt and walking can be a little difficult. Between the latter spring months until the early autumn months, watch out for rattlesnakes. They, too, enjoy basking in the sun on the warmed basalt rocks.
Lake Lenore Caves – 7 Miles Away
The Lake Lenore Caves are located on the east wall of the lower coulee above Alkali Lake, just off of Highway 17. There are several caves, and access to the superior ones is available by moderate climbing and walking along a well defined trail. It is best to wear good walking shoes as some parts of the path are covered with crushed basalt and walking can be a little difficult. Between the latter spring months until the early autumn months, watch out for rattlesnakes. They, too, enjoy basking in the sun on the warmed basalt rocks.
