While traveling the scenic Coulee Corridor Scenic Byway, reflect on the constant theme of water's overwhelming power. The landscape's sheer cliffs, lakes, and sand dunes all testify to different aspects of the continental ice sheet and ice age floods that shaped the area with indomitable force. Also home to cultural history, some artist communities, rare birds, and a thriving wild ecosystem, the Coulee Corridor Scenic Byway promises the visitor a remarkable and well-rounded outdoor experience in a place like no other.
For those interested in geology and ancient history, the byway takes you through a timeline of dramatic activity. The entire corridor consists of a series of coulees, or dry canyons, which were shaped by the rushing torrents released when a 2000-foot natural ice dam melted in Montana. This Ice Age flood also left behind boulders, gravel bars and sand dunes, and carved out 900-foot basalt cliffs. These sheer, colorful walls contrast with the more ancient granite formations in Northrup Canyon. Spend the night in a campground at Steamboat Rock State Park and stand atop the 800-foot basalt butte in the morning, watching the sun rise over Banks Lake.
While much of the water that formed the geological wonders along Coulee Corridor Scenic Byway drained away, a lot remains. Spend a few nights in a campground in Lake Roosevelt National Recreation area, playing along the shores of the 130-mile long lake. Once dammed by ancient ice, the Columbia's waters are now held back by the world's largest concrete structure, the Grand Coulee Dam. Look over the Dry Falls overlook at the remains of a waterfall once ten times the size of Niagara Falls. These falls once began near the shores of Soap Lake, eroding their way back along their parent river until their current location, fifteen miles back.
The calm lakes at the bottom of Dry Falls support a variety of swallows and swifts, two examples of the thriving bird population along the byway. Home to several festivals, the area attracts birders from all over the world. The variety of habitats, from desert-like steppes to wetlands, harbor an equally diverse bird population. Bald Eagles spend winters roosting in the native evergreens in Northrup Canyon and Sandhill Cranes spend springtime along the byway. Wildlife also abounds, with mule deer a common sight and wildflowers coloring the landscape.
The natural corridor has hosted a variety of civilizations, and their culture is well represented along the byway. A section of the route travels through the Colville Indian Reservation where you might meet folks whose ancestors could have witnessed the ice age flood. Tour the Colville Tribal Museum to hear the story of the twelve tribes represented on the reservation. End your trip down the byway with a stop at the Moses Lake Museum and Art Center for a glimpse at early life in the corridor and an in-depth look at the history of an area unlike anything you've ever seen.
Birding Adventures along the Coulee Corridor