Steamboat Rock hike
GPS Data: Map, Track, Waypoints
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here for GPS eXchange format file.
Waypoints:
- Trailhead
- Parking
- Access trails
- Trail ends
GPS Stats and other info:
- Access to plateau: 0.6 miles
- North loop: 3 miles
- West arm: 0.4 miles
- South arm: 0.4 miles
- South loop: 1.8 miles
- Elevation gain
to plateau: 600 feet
Trip Report 4/19/06
Looking to escape the Seattle spring rains, Joan and I head to dry central
Washington Grand Coulee/Dry Falls area. It is literally a geological wonder of
the world where an ice age flood swept through with more water than all the
world's rivers combined carving canyons a thousand feet deep. It is nothing less
than spectacular.
Although it apparently rained here last weekend, we are blessed with
beautiful 75 degree weather and since its the off season there is absolutely
nobody here! We saw no one else on this hike.
Steamboat rock itself is a 600 foot high basalt plateau in the middle of
Banks Lake. Someone apparently thought it looked like a steamboat... The plateau
offers a variety of hikes, precipitous cliffs, and lots of cool views. I
recommend the northern loop - once you reach the top it's pretty level and the
whole area is so sparsely vegetated you can walk pretty much anywhere. Check it
out!
Our destination... looks like a "steamboat" to me!
Precipitous cliffs...
More precipitous cliffs
Cool views
We got buzzed by A6 Navy jets.
Geologists will tell you that the only way these huge boulders
of Canadian granite could end up on top of this 600 foot high basalt island was
to be rafted here on icebergs from hundreds of miles away during a flood of
biblical proportions. But... they still don't know how the little rocks
ended up on top of the big one???
The wild flowers were out in force.
Remember grasshopper, "the path IS the goal".
Related Info and Links
Check out the hiking in Northrup Canyon. It's just a little northeast of
Steamboat Rock state park.
Also, the laser show at Grand Coulee dam gets good PR but I haven't seen it.
Other hiking in the area. Read about the "maze" near Lake Lenore at
http://www.metatropo.com/reports/lakelenorecaves042006.shtml
Wildernet.com entry for the Lake Lenore Caves
http://www.wildernet.com/pages/area.cfm?areaID=WASPSTBTRK&CU_ID=1
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