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Travel Washington: Grand Coulee & Lake Roosevelt: A Desert Oasis |
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Written On: September/October 2007 |
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Written By: by Paul Schlienz |
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Imagine a place where desert meets water, where spectacular natural scenery surrounds one of humanity’s greatest feats of engineering, and you can still find traditional hometowns you thought only existed in old movies. It’s a place where the pace is easy and slow, where traffic jams and freeways are distant rumors.
Such a place exists. It’s the Grand Coulee-Lake Roosevelt region, in the north-central to northeastern part of Washington state.
"We have so much to offer," said Susan Miller, executive director of the Grand Coulee Area Chamber of Commerce. "We have beautiful lakes around us and breathtaking coulee walls. Our main attraction is the Grand Coulee Dam. It’s the eighth wonder of the world, but we’ve got more than just the dam."
Grand Coulee Dam, opened in 1942, changed the face of the region. Built to stem the powerful flow of the mighty Columbia River, the dam brought water to the dry but fertile soil of eastern Washington and controlled the annual flooding that sometimes proved to be deadly. The new dam generated cheap, clean and renewable energy, and provided good jobs for those who designed, built and maintained it. Today, it continues to provide power and water, and offers tremendous recreational opportunities to the grandchildren and great-grandchildren of those who built it.
The Coulee Corridor
The most dramatic approach to the Grand Coulee is via the Coulee Corridor, a designated scenic byway that runs between Othello and Omak along State Route 17, U.S. Highway 2 and State Route 155. Driving north from Soap Lake travelers enter the Grand Coulee, a long canyon of stunning desert scenery with a chain of small lakes that are great for boating, fishing, swimming and relaxation.
One of the highlights of the Coulee Corridor is Dry Falls State Park. The park takes its name from the basalt cliffs that form the coulee walls, where a 3.5-mile-wide, 300-foot-high waterfall once flowed. Created 12,000 years ago by the overflow of prehistoric Lake Missoula, Dry Falls was truly mammoth in proportions. Niagara Falls is puny by comparison—only a mile wide and 165 feet high.
Beginning at Coulee City, the corridor skirts the eastern shore of Banks Lake, created by Grand Coulee Dam. This scenic, 28-mile-long reservoir fills the former bottomland between majestic coulee cliffs in an 800-foot canyon one to five miles wide. A sportsman’s paradise, the lake is a magnet for boaters, jet skiers, swimmers and other fun seekers. Fishing is so good that the lake is the site of numerous bass tournaments.
Steamboat Rock, a massive landmark on the lakeshore, is part of a 3,200-acre state park with swimming, hiking, boating and picnicking. Next comes Sunbanks, a rapidly expanding lakefront resort with a golf course.
Electric City, a small, laid-back lakefront community that also offers surprises like an annual blues festival, is just up the road.
"Electric City is getting a lot of people from western Washington who move up here to buy a second home," said Birdie Hensley, a community activist who is running for Electric City’s town council. "There’s less rush here, the fishing’s great, and homes that would go for $500,000 in the Seattle area go for $200,000 in this part of the state."
Just up the road from Electric City, you’ll pass a green, oasis-like park and see Banks Lake’s North Dam. You’re now in Grand Coulee, the commercial hub for the area in the immediate vicinity of the great dam.
Just west of town on State Route 174 is Crown Point State Park, famous for its panoramic view of the Columbia River. At the center of this amazing vista is Grand Coulee Dam, Lake Roosevelt (the massive reservoir created by the dam), and the town of Coulee Dam just below the face of the dam. Although Grand Coulee Dam is the region’s focal point, the world that existed before its construction is evident in the majestic, desert mountains that frame the dam, the town and the lake.
Great dam, unique town
Immediately north of Grand Coulee, along State Route 155, Lake Roosevelt comes into view. As the highway descends the hill the great dam looms ahead. Just below the dam is a viewpoint that provides an excellent perspective on this amazing structure’s iconic face. At the nearby Visitor Arrival Center, you can learn about Grand Coulee Dam’s history through exhibits and films.
Across the river, tours of the dam’s third powerhouse are available for free. With a walk across the top of the dam, a descent into its interior via an inclined elevator with a panoramic glass window and an inside view of the powerhouse, its components and workings, a Grand Coulee Dam tour is a memorable experience.
From May to September, the world’s largest laser light show—also free—uses the face of Grand Coulee Dam as its canvas, telling the story of the dam in words and music.
Another unforgettable experience is seeing the dam on the Fourth of July.
"There’s nothing more spectacular than coming to Coulee Dam on the Fourth of July, making your nest down below by the river and watching the fireworks over the dam," said Miller. "We have live entertainment, and 5,000 people came last Independence Day. It’s out of this world!"
The town of Coulee Dam sits just below the face of the dam.
"When you drive into Coulee Dam, you may feel as if you have taken a step back in time," said Gaylord "Quincy" Snow, mayor of Coulee Dam. "The clean neighborhoods, well-maintained homes, and the relaxed and friendly people of our community work their spell to chase away the stress of today’s world."
Coulee Dam is a planned community, built by the federal government in the 1930s to house the workers who designed and built the dam. Spread along the east and west banks of the Columbia River, the two sides of town have very different looks and personalities. This is no accident. The west bank, originally known as Engineers Town, housed the project’s engineers and other federal employees.
Across the river on the east bank was Mason City, which housed the contractors and other blue-collar workers who built the dam.
Federal administration of the town ended in 1959 when the city of Coulee Dam was incorporated. The west bank has retained its unique 1930s look, with the dam project’s administrative building serving as the town hall. Rows of trees planted along the streets 70 years ago have now matured into luxuriant shade trees that are the pride and joy of the community.
"In the fall, all the trees down the main street are different colors," said Snow. "It makes you think of Connecticut."
The east bank of Coulee Dam is wholly within the Colville Indian Reservation, and includes the tribal-owned Coulee Dam Casino and the Colville Tribal Museum. The museum is the perfect place to learn about the Confederated Colville Tribes and their history while viewing stunningly beautiful tribal art and artifacts.
Vacation wonderland
Behind Grand Coulee Dam is Franklin D. Roosevelt Lake—more commonly known as Lake Roosevelt—a reservoir that extends 150 miles upriver, almost to the Canadian border. The lake, operated by the federal government as a national recreation area, has 660 miles of shoreline and 28 campgrounds.
The northern and southern reaches of the lake are a study in contrasts. The southern part of the lake, closer to the dam, is framed by dry desert mountains and bluffs. To the north, the lake is surrounded by green hills and mountains covered with ponderosa pine forests.
Boats of all kinds are common on Lake Roosevelt, but houseboats are especially plentiful. On the more popular southern part of the lake there are about 500 houseboats. An additional 70 houseboats can be found further north.
"Our product is a hassle-free experience—other than the five- or six-hour drive to get here—but you’ve got to drive at least three-and-a-half hours or you don’t believe you’re really on vacation," said Ed Wimberley, who owns and operates Lake Roosevelt Vacations Inc., which rents out houseboats at the Kettle Falls Marina on the eastern shore of the lake.
Wimberley has been renting boats on Lake Roosevelt for 20 years. He currently has 17 houseboats and will likely have 18 next year. The houseboats are comfortable and spacious, almost like floating apartments.
"In about 45 minutes, we teach our clients how to operate the boat," Wimberley said. "Typically, they’ll bring family and friends, coming in groups of 12 to 13 people. We have a fine clientele, and an 80-percent return rate."
A word of warning: If you want to rent a boat, make your reservations by March, since Lake Roosevelt Vacations is typically booked for the summer by March or April.
Although Lake Roosevelt and the Grand Coulee area are far from the state’s main freeways and population centers, they are still accessible via good roads, and well worth taking the time to visit.
"When people come to visit, they’re amazed," said Miller.
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