Grand Coulee Overlook Hike
Hike Rating: Moderate
Hike Length: 6.4 miles roundtrip
Elevation Gain: 540’
Trailhead Elevation: 1,070’
Best Season: April-June and September
Driving Access: Any vehicle
Plus
Points
• A walk along jeep trails
leading to a dramatic, panoramic overlook of Grand Coulee
• Arguably one of the most scenic day hiking destinations
in Southeast Washington
• For the first mile, the hike is over the
historical Caribou Trail wagon road
• On uplands, the route follows wet meadows and grasslands
between low rock benches
• Spring wildflowers include wild iris, bush lupine, globe
mallow, wooly daisy and aster
• Small groves of hawthorn trees en route provide welcome
shade on hot days
Minus Points
• Basic route-finding skills
are needed to follow the jeep trails leading to the rim
• Cows may be encountered in the upland meadows in very
early Spring
• Rattlesnakes are a possibility throughout the summer, so
be aware
Download
(PDF, 629 KB): Photos of Grand Coulee Overlook
Hike
Download
(PDF, 632 KB): Topo Map for Grand Coulee Overlook
Hike
Download
(GPX, 1 KB): GPS Points for Grand Coulee Overlook
Hike
Download
(PDF, 733 KB): Road Map for Grand Coulee Overlook
Hike
Trail
Notes
From the
trailhead parking area, walk south across the paved road to
the white vehicle gate, then follow the jeep trail behind
the gate, southeast through the sagebrush. At about 200
yards, look for an enormous pothole on the north side of
the road, excavated by Ice Age floods. For the next 0.5
miles, the jeep road ascends the side canyon to the south,
following the bed of the old wagon road up the talus slope.
At 0.6 miles, the road passes through a wire gate, leaving
WA State Parks land and entering BLM land.
Past this gate, the old road is difficult to follow and
it's best to just walk cross-country up the coulee bottom,
through grasslands between the rock walls. At about 1.0
miles, one meets a jeep
road crossing
this coulee north-to-south (GPS Point 1). Turn right
(south) on this road and follow it for about 200 yards,
where another faint jeep trail branches to the right
(west). Follow this faint track west to a second wire gate
at the base of the bluffs (GPS Point 2). Go through this
wire gate, leaving it as you find it, then follow the old
road as it climbs south up the cliff face to the top of the
rim.
Once on top, the jeep road is easy to follow as it crosses
the dry desert. At 1.8 miles, the road descends steeply
into a shallow coulee near a grove of hawthorn trees (GPS
Point 3). For the next 1.9 miles to the overlook, the route
winds and turns west and north through this shallow coulee,
past dry grasslands, wet meadows and small reed marshes.
The road is faint and discontinuous in this section, but if
one keeps to the bottom of the coulee, following prominent
cow trails, it's hard to go astray. At 2.3 miles (GPS Point
4), next to small hawthorn trees, one finds a green wet
meadow encircled with wild iris in Spring.
Past this
meadow, the route continues on the coulee bottom for
another 0.9 miles to the rim, passing a small reed marsh
and open grasslands. Just before the rim, one comes to a
circular pothole lake bounded by a barbed wire fence. The
route follows the fence line east of this pond to the
overlook (at GPS Point 5). At the overlook, one finds
spectacular, panoramic views north up Monument Coulee to
Dry Falls and east up the Deep Lake Coulee. A great spot
for a lunch and a hike destination. Return as you came.
Road to Trailhead
From State Route 17, about 17
miles north of Soap Lake and 4 miles south of Dry Falls
Junction, turn east into Sun Lakes-Dry Falls State Park.
Drive 1.2 miles, past the State Park Campground, before
turning left (east) onto the park road to Deep Lake. Drive
for 2.1 miles to the Caribou Trailhead parking area on the
left (north) side of the road. The trail starts south
across the Deep Lake Road, on the jeep track behind the
white gate.
A Washington State Discover Pass is required to park at
this trailhead. Also note that the Deep Lake Road is closed
in winter, opening after April 1 each year.
Camping Options
The nearest camping area is
right at Sun Lakes-Dry Falls State Park, just 2.1 miles
from the trailhead. This is a large campground with flush
toilets, showers, drinking water,
full hookups
and over 190 campsites, including spaces for tents as well
as the largest RVs and travel trailers. Be prepared for
strong winds. Reservations are available April 15 through
September 15 and are highly recommended for the summer
months. Visit the WA State Parks website or call (888) 226-7688.
Camping fees are based on the type of campsite selected.
Also within the park is a private concessionaire, Sun Lakes
Resort, offering campsites, rental cabins, a park store,
boat rentals, propane, firewood and a laundromat. The
resort can be reached at (509) 632-5291.
Agency Contact: Washington State Parks, (360)
902-8844
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: 11/11/13