Hike at Steamboat Rock is short, but expansive in its grand views

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April 22, 1999

Hike at Steamboat Rock is short, but expansive in its grand views

By KAREN SYKES
SPECIAL TO THE POST-INTELLIGENCER

The poets are wrong. April is not the cruelest month, at least not east of the mountains.

If you're getting impatient for spring hiking and don't mind a long drive, there are many hikes in the sunnier realms of Eastern Washington suitable for everyone in the family.

Bright clumps of phlox and balsam root are painting the hills, the birds are singing and the living is easy, despite a hint of ice in the morning and evening breezes.

Steamboat Rock, located in Steamboat Rock State Park, is a gem. It was one of the first "desert" hikes our Scout troop took a few years back. My husband, John, was recovering from a climbing accident and we needed something short and sweet.

As hikes go, Steamboat Rock is an easy two- to three-mile hike with an elevation gain of only 525 feet.

A Volksmarch was taking place that day, but despite lots of walkers hiking the loop around the rock, it was still wide and open country with plenty of sky, views and meadowlarks, and plenty of solitude.

Though Steamboat Rock is an easy hike, it has a violent past. It is a challenge to imagine that the rock for which the park is named was once an island in the middle of the ancient Columbia River.

According to geologists, Steamboat Rock withstood the most horrendous floods in history as the Ice Age came to an end. As the ice sheet began to melt and retreat, it formed Lake Missoula. When the huge lake overflowed, monster floods swept across what is now Washington state.

A geologist can read the stony story of the past better than most of us, but even a geologist can't help but live in the glory of the moment when sitting on top of this time-crafted masterpiece, where eagles have been known to nest.

Views up and down the Grand Coulee and over Banks Resevoir -- the rock is bounded on three sides by Banks Lake -- tell the long story of ancient lava flowing over the Columbia Plateau before the Ice Age.

Time crawls in country such as this. Take the time to contemplate the origin of all things great and small.Bring a geology or flower guide. Maybe you'll even be inspired to write a poem. After all, April is National Poetry Month.

Getting there
From Seattle, drive Interstate 90 east to just past George, then take state Route 283 northeast to state Route 28 through Euphrata to Soap Lake. From there, take state Route 17 north to U.S. 2, then east to Coulee City. State Route 155 then follows the eastern edge of Banks Lake. Steamboat Rock State Parkis about 26 miles north of Coulee City on state Route 155 (nine miles south from Electric City). The trailhead can be found just across from the second campground, at an elevation of 1,760 feet (another trail leads in from the day use area). Both trails join at the base of the rock.

Trail detail
The trail climbs through a secret passage in the cliffs and switchbacks steeply through talus to a junction. The path to the south ends on cliffs on the west side of Steamboat Rock. Several spur trails can be found at the top. The high point at 2,285 feet can be reached by taking the trail to the north.

The trails to the south climb to a plateau above the south face of Steamboat Rock, but it doesn't really matter which way you go, since a rough path encircles the plateau, and the views are everywhere.

At the high point, you are only a mile from your car. On the broad, flat summit, there are granite boulders strewn about, glacial erratics most likely deposited by a moving sheet of ice.

If the hike is too short, there are many other places to visit if you're spending the weekend. For a close look at basalt flows, drive along state Route 155, which has several pulloffs between Steamboat Rock State Park and Coulee City.

Banks Lake features boat launches, swimming beach and play areas for children. Grand Coulee Dam, not far away, offers tours, and other short hikes can be found in Sun Lakes State Park.

Trail data
Steamboat Rock is two to three miles round-trip, elevation gain 525 feet. Steamboat Rock is managed by Steamboat Rock State Park. For further information, refer to "55 Hikes in Central Washington" by Ira Spring and Harvey Manning (The Mountaineers, 172 pages, $12.95).

For more in-depth information about the geology of the area, refer to "Fire, Faults and Floods" by Marge and Ted Mueller (University of Idaho Press, 288 pages, $19.95).

Facilities can be found at Soap Lake and Coulee City (RV parks, campgrounds, gas, grocery stores, motels, etc). For more information on hiking or camping at Steamboat Rock State Park (or any other state park) call 800-233-0321.