Crab Creek Coulee Hike
Hike Rating: Moderate
Hike Length: 6.8 miles roundtrip
Elevation Gain: 190’
Trailhead Elevation: 1,670’
Best Season: April-May and September
Driving Access: Any vehicle
Plus
Points
• A scenic, cross-country walk
along a coulee rim, for lovers of desert solitude
• Overviews of the Crab Creek coulee, with basalt bluffs
sculpted by Ice Age floods
• Mima mound topography on the flat benchlands above the
coulee rim
• Showy balsamroot and white lupine on the moist,
north-facing slopes in Spring
• A cool, shady hike destination awaits at the banks of
perennial Crab Creek
• Solitude is nearly unavoidable on this hike
Minus Points
• No shade or tree cover, so
it's best to start in the early AM on hot days
• Route is mostly cross-country over uneven ground, so
sturdy footwear is a must
• Rattlesnakes are a possibility throughout the summer, so
be aware
Download
(PDF, 673 KB): Photos of Crab Creek Coulee
Hike
Download
(PDF, 709 KB): Topo Map for Crab Creek Coulee
Hike
Download
(PDF, 667 KB): Road Map for Crab Creek Coulee
Hike
Trail
Notes
The hike
begins at the green, steel pedestrian gate on the southeast
side of the Rocky Ford bridge over Crab Creek. The route
initially climbs steeply up the gigantic flood bar of
cobbles behind the gate, then ascends gradually east
through tall sagebrush to the brow of the ridge. The goal
is to reach the prominent rocky rim on the horizon, about
200' above the elevation of the trailhead. Once up on the
rim, at about 0.5 miles, the route is to the east,
contouring along the edge of the rock rim on cow trails
through low sage and sparse grass. Look for mima mound
topography in this section.
Cow trails appear and disappear along the rim's edge, but
route finding is easy as long as one contours along the
same rock layer. At about 1.8 miles, the route crosses a
north-south fence line and wide, sweeping views open up
over Crab Creek and the coulee to the east. Past this
fence, it may be tempting to drop down to lower benches
along the rim, but the easiest route is to just maintain
the same contour level. In Spring, look for colorful
arrowleaf balsamroot and white lupine on the north-facing
slopes below the rim.
At 2.6 miles,
one comes to a stacked rock cairn on the rim's edge, which
is the end of the cross-country trek. Scrambling down the
slope northeast of this cairn, one soon finds a
double-track jeep road trending north down into the coulee.
Follow this jeep track for about 0.8 miles north and east
to its end at Crab Creek below. This creek flows year-round
and there is shade under the small trees and willows at
streamside. It's a fine spot to cool off, have lunch and
see a few ducks. Return as you came.
Road to Trailhead
From State Route 28, about 15
miles east of Odessa and 9.5 miles west of Harrington, turn
south on paved Doggett Road. Drive south 1.6 miles, curving
southeast and crossing the railroad tracks, to a "T". Turn
left here (east on Tanke Road) and drive 0.5 miles to the
top of the hill, then turn right (south) onto gravel Rocky
Ford Road. Drive 5 miles south on Rock Ford Road to the
concrete bridge over Crab Creek. Park at the pullout
southeast of the bridge. The trailhead is the green steel
pedestrian gate in the fence.
From
Interstate 90, take Exit 221, then turn northwest onto the
road leading into Ritzville (which soon becomes Division
Street). On the northwest edge of town, about 1.5 miles
from Hwy 90, just before the road bends due west, turn
right (north) onto paved Marcellus Road. Follow Marcellus
Road for about 9 miles north to a 90 degree turn to the
west. At this corner, turn right (northeast) onto gravel
Rocky Ford Road and follow it for 4 miles to the concrete
bridge over Crab Creek.
Camping Options
The nearest public camping area
is the BLM Pacific Lake/Lakeview Ranch Campground, about 30
driving miles from the trailhead, north of Odessa on the
Lakeview Ranch Loop Road. Here, near the old Lakeview Ranch
buildings and corrals, on a flat bench above now dry
Pacific Lake, are a vault toilet and gravel parking areas
suitable for travel trailers.
A grassy area
with a few shade trees, plus tables and fire rings, serves
tent campers and picnickers. There is no potable water
here, but drinking water jugs can be filled at the City
Park in downtown Odessa. Though Pacific Lake is now dry,
the area is still scenic, with vertical basalt walls
defining both sides of the coulee. A quiet spot for
camping, with no fees charged. Do keep an eye out for
rattlesnakes.
Camping is also available at two private resorts on Sprague
Lake, east of the trailhead near the town of Sprague off
Interstate 90. These campgrounds offer full hookups,
showers and rest rooms, but they're relatively expensive
and near the freeway and railroad tracks.
Agency Contact: Spokane BLM District, (509)
536-1200
DISCLAIMER:
Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of this
information, but the authors do not guarantee that it is
either current or correct. The reader assumes full
responsibility for any use of this information, and is
encouraged to contact local public land agencies to inquire
about current conditions before
traveling.
Page last updated: 11/8/13