Grand Coulee Dam Area Visitors' Guide

Visitors’ Guide • Grand Coulee Dam Area • 2010-1011

Table of Contents Basic Questions..................................................................... 5 Grand Coulee Dam Facts.................................................10 Are the Fish Biting?............................................................19 Monthly Fishing Guide.....................................................21 Hunting the Coulee...........................................................22 Lake Roosevelt Facts.........................................................24 Parks or Viewpoints...........................................................28

“Coulee” Facts......................................................................29 Colville/Native People......................................................34 Laser Show Facts.................................................................38 Welcome to Wilbur............................................................39 Welcome to Okanogan County.....................................43 Other Great Day Tours......................................................47 Ad Index.......................................................................... 52-53

Index Banks Lake.Pages 6, 7, 12,19, 20, 21, 28, 29, 30, 31 38, 44, 54

Laser Lights at Grand Coulee Dam.......................Pages 5,8,36

Camping/Accomodations......................Pages 5,8,9, 13,17,24,

Lake Roosevelt....................................Pages 14,17,19,21,24, 25

25,29,38,44,53,56

Map of Area.........................................................Pages 31,32 & 33

Casinos....................................................................... Pages 7, 41,50

Municipal Parks .......................................Page 5,6, 28, 44, 47, 52

Crown Point Vista.................................................Pages 5,7,14,28

Museums . ................................................................. Pages 7,37,43

Fishing .......................................Pages 6,7,9,19, 20, 21,36,52,53

National Park Service.....................................Pages 17,24,25,50

Fruit Stand..............................................................................Pages 3

Native Americans - History...................................Pages 34 - 36

Grand Coulee Dam...................... Pages 5, 10, 11, 12, 14,37,40

Schedule of Events...............................................Pages 26 ,27,52

Golfing/Bowling.................................Pages 3,7,23,30,38,39,50

Steamboat Rock State Park....................Pages 5,6,7, 17, 29,31

Hiking........................................................ Pages 7,25,28,30,47,52

Spring Canyon Campground/Park.......................Pgs. 5-7,17,25

Hunting, Wildlife............................................ Page 9,22,29,36,44

Swimming........................................................ Pgs. 7,17,25,29,38,50

The

Willows

Motel

A.C. • Cable • Internet • Micros/Fridges CLEAN & COMFORTABLE ROOMS Pool & Services Nearby • Pets Welcome!

303 N.E. Main Ave., Wilbur

(509) 647-2100

On the Cover

Top: An aerial view looking south of Grand Coulee Dam with Steamboat Rock in the distance.

Bottom: A lucky dog gets to wade in Banks Lake near Steamboat Rock on a typical autumn day.

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We have the car for you!

FULLER & SONS Auto Sales Car Rentals

Toll Free (800) 359-4408 Bus. (509) 633-0600 122 Midway, Grand Coulee

in Coulee Dam next to the Casino

Store Hours 7 a.m. - 10 p.m. DAILY

Fresh Donuts and Maple Bars Sandwiches Lattes

“Best” baked or fried chicken in the whole “Dam” area Featuring USDA Choice Meats Premium Angus Beef Garden Fresh Produce and complete line of groceries.

“Welcome to Our Town”

Visitors’ Guide • Grand Coulee Dam Area • 2010-2011

The annual Fourth of July fireworks off the top of Grand Coulee Dam dwarf the crowd below and mock the light from video camera screens.

• Daily Specials • Banquet Room • Catering • Take-Out Orders Open 7 Days A Week 10 a.m. - 10 p.m.

Eisael Hernandez - Owner 515 E. Grand Coulee Ave. • Grand Coulee, WA 99133

(509) 633-3173 Also - 13308 W. Sunset Highway, Airway Heights

R&A

Shaw’s Fruit & Produce

3533A Hwy 155, Coulee Dam, WA 99116 6.5 Miles North of Coulee Dam

9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Daily Open May thru November

(509) 633-0133 www.shawsfruit.com

Economy Rates

CAFE

BEST FOOD, BEST PRICES BEST SERVICE … BEST BET! Open 6 a.m. - 2 p.m. Mon. thru Sat.

“The best dam food in town!”

514 Birch St. Coulee Dam. Next to the Coulee House, across from the casino.

(509) 633-2233 (CAFE)

108 Spokane Way, Grand Coulee Completely Remodeled Rooms

• Heated Pool to 88º • Air Conditioning • Cable TV • Phones • Kitchenettes • Ref./Micro/Coffeepots in room Non-Smoking • Free Internet Access

(866) 633-8157 • (509) 633-3155 www.trailwestmotel.com 3

Visitors’ Guide • Grand Coulee Dam Area • 2010-2011

Enjoy a cold one in our beer garden!

Watertoys, Fishing, Camping, Souvenirs and Much More!

NEXT TO SAFEWAY

414 Midway Ave., Grand Coulee Open Mon. - Sat. 9 a.m. - 6 p.m.; Sun. 10-5

HH &

Beer • Wine • Well Drinks Sandwiches • Hamburgers • Daily Specials Broasted Chicken "Try Our Famous Chicken Ceasar Salad"

Electric City Bar & Grill Electric City • (509) 633-2221

“Friendliest Grocery on Banks Lake” Convenient RV & Trailer Parking

Bruce Cheadle

GROCERY

(509) 633-0280 308 Spokane Way Grand Coulee

Video Rentals ~ ATM

Camping & Fishing Supplies

Electric City (509) 633-2687 www.grandcouleedam.com/h&h

Auto • Home • Life • Health Financial Services

State Farm Insurance Companies • Home Offices: Bloomington, Illinois

On Banks Lake Coulee Playland

We now have wireless internet!

Bring the Family

TREE LINED LAKESIDE PARK

Breakfast - Lunch - Dinner

2 miles to Golf Course and 2 miles from Grand Coulee Dam

“We Hand Cut & Trim Our Own Steaks”

Tenting, Full Hook-ups LARGE SELECTION TACKLE/RODS, REELS Marine/RV/Camping Supplies Banks Lake Apparel RENT: PONTOON BOATS, Fish Boats, Paddle Boats, Yurt — Sleeps 5 Tribal & State Game Licenses www.couleeplayland.com

Reservations recommended but not required

Coulee Playland Resort 401 Coulee Blvd. E. (509) 633-2671 Box 457, Electric City, WA 99123

Try the local favorite chicken and pork-fried steaks & chicken-fried chicken BANQUET ROOM & LOUNGE

Every Friday Night - Prime Rib Every Sunday - Breakfast Buffet

(509) 633-8283

PEPPER JACK’S BAR & GRILLE 113 Midway Avenue, Grand Coulee pepperjacks.webs.com/

4

CyanMagentaYellowBlack

CyanMagentaYellowBlack

Steaks - Seafood - Fresh Produce

Visitors’ Guide • Grand Coulee Dam Area • 2010-2011

Basic Questions: What town am I in?

There are four towns adjacent to the Grand Coulee Dam. The city of Grand Coulee is above the dam.

Electric City is two miles west of Grand Coulee. These two municipalities are located in Grant County.

To the north, the town of Coulee Dam is directly below the dam. Coulee Dam — divided by the river — lies within three counties: Okanogan County on the east side of the river, and Douglas County and a tiny portion of Grant County on the west side of the river.

The town of Elmer City, less than two miles north of Coulee Dam, also is in Okanogan County. The Colville IndianReservationbeginsinthemiddleoftheColumbia River Bridge in Coulee Dam and extends north to Omak. The east side of Coulee Dam and the town of Elmer City are within the boundaries of the reservation.

What time does the laser light show begin?

The laser show is held nightly at Grand Coulee Dam as follows for 2010: May 29 to July 31 at 10:00 p.m.

Aug. 1 to Aug. 31 at 9:30 p.m.

Sept. 1 to Sept. 30 at 8:30 p.m.

The show is about 35 minutes in length. There is no admission fee.Call 509-633-9265 for more information.

Where can I view this show?

• Best location — the Grand Coulee Dam Visitor Center (VC) at the dam and from the park below the VC. These areas are covered by an outdoor sound system.

• The town of Coulee Dam has constructed a new park along Roosevelt Drive starting at the east end of the Columbia River bridge. The park has a terraced, grassy area for viewing the Laser Light Show.

• Other view spots: from Douglas Park in Coulee Dam, from Crown Point atop the granite cliffs and above Lake Rufus Woods — access from SR174 toward Bridgeport.

• The USBR broadcasts the audio portion of the Laser Light Show nightly at 90.1 FM.

How do I take a tour of Grand Coulee Dam?

At the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation’s Visitor Center on SR155 just north of Coulee Dam, tours are offered.

The VC offers movies about the dam, informational displays, and guides can answer questions. You can get the latest information there, or call 509-633-9265.

Where are public restrooms?

• VC and park below.

• North Dam Park, SR155, west of Grand Coulee.

• Grand Coulee City Hall, SR155, Grand Coulee.

• Grand Coulee City Park, SR174.

• Etheta Anderson Memorial Library, Grand Coulee.

• Mason City Memorial Park, Coulee Dam, across street from shopping center.

• Spring Canyon, Lake Roosevelt National Recreation Area, SR174 east.

• Steamboat Rock State Park, SR155 eight miles south of Electric City.

• Coulee Playland, SR155, Electric City.

• Coulee Dam Town Hall, 300 Lincoln, Coulee Dam

Where can I find overnight accomodations?

• AREA MOTELS: Coulee Dam — The Columbia River Inn, 10 Lincoln Avenue, 509-633-2100, 800633-6421; Coulee House Inn & Suites, 110 Roosevelt Way, 509-633-1101, 800-715-7767.

Grand Coulee - The Grand Coulee Center Lodge, 404 Spokane Way,509-633-2860,866-633-2860; TrailWest, 108 Spokane Way, 509-633-3155, 866-633-8157.

Electric City - Sunbanks Lake Resort, 57662 SR155 N, 509-633-3786, 888-822-7195.; Sky Deck Motel, 509-633-0290.

Outer Area - Eight Bar B Motel, Wilbur 509-6472400;The Willows Motel, Wilbur 509-647-2100.

• AREA CAMPGROUNDS - Steamboat Rock State Park on Banks Lake,11 miles south of Electric City on SR155, 509-633-1304; Spring Canyon on Lake Roosevelt, 1.4 miles east of Grand Coulee on SR174, 509-633-9188; Coulee Playland Resort on Banks Lake in Electric City, 509-633-2671; Grand Coulee RV Park, SR174 toward Bridgeport, 509-633-0750; Lakeview Terrace Mobile Park,2.4 miles east of Grand Coulee on SR174,509-6332169;King’s Court,SR174 toward Wilbur,509-633-3655.

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Visitors’ Guide • Grand Coulee Dam Area • 2010-1011

Where can I eat?

Family Style

\Melody Restaurant, 512 River Dr., Coulee Dam Pepper Jack’s Bar & Grille, 113 Midway Ave., Grand Coulee R&A Cafe, 514 Birch St., Coulee Dam Sunbanks, on Banks Lake

Fast Foods

TeePee Grand Bistro, 211 Midway, Tim’s 4-Corners Union 76, Grand Coulee Electric City Bar & Grill, Electric City

Specialty

La Presa, Hwy. 174, Grand Coulee

Where can I have a picnic?

Where can I launch a boat?

Public docks are located at: Coulee Playland, Spring Canyon and Steamboat Rock State Park. Two other launching sites are about midway along Banks Lake.

One is at Barker Canyon on the west side of the lake;the other is at the Northrup rest area on the small peninsula that juts out toward Steamboat Rock from the east side of the lake, just off the 155 state route. A launch ramp is in place at Crescent Bay on Lake Roosevelt.

Where can I buy postcards, gifts, souvenirs?

Many area retailers carry postcards, as do motels, restaurants and area concessionaires.

• In Coulee Dam: • Steamboat Rock State Park, Coulee House Inn & Suites SR155, eight miles south of Harvest Foods & Variety Electric City in the Grand Coulee.

Coulee Dam Casino • Spring Canyon, SR174 east toward • In Grand Coulee: Spokane.

Chamber of Commerce • Grand Coulee Dam’s Visitor Center Coulee Graphics Park, below dam; and Roosevelt The Variety Store Memorial Park, look for the Tim's Four-Corners • In Electric City: bust of Franklin D. Roosevelt off Coulee Playland Resort SR155 near the top of the dam.

Enjoy a day on the lake!

H&H Grocery • Municipal parks are located at: Sunbanks Lake Resort North Dam Park, SR155, Grand Coulee (covered eating area); Grand Coulee City Banks Lake Golf and Country Club.

Park, SR174 east toward Spokane; Douglas Park, • Outer Area: SR155, Coulee Dam; Cole Park, just off SR155 on Trading Post, Nespelem Columbia Avenue (do not cross Columbia River Rawson's, Okanogan Bridge); Mason City Memorial Park, across street Grant County Historical Museum, Ephrata from Coulee Dam shopping center; National Park Service headquarters, Crest Drive, Coulee Dam.

Where can I fish?

Banks Lake in the Grand Coulee, Lake Roosevelt behind Grand Coulee Dam, and Lake Rufus Woods below Grand Coulee Dam. All three are year-round fisheries.Fishing is also permitted on the Colville Indian Reservation on McGinnis Lake and Buffalo Lake.

FISHING REGULATIONS KEEP CHANGING. PLEASE REFER TO THE CURRENT STATE AND TRIBAL FISHING REGULATIONS FOR MORE INFORMATION.

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What else is there to do besides tour the dam?

• Colville Confederated Tribes Casino 516 Birch, Coulee Dam; • Banks Lake Golf and Country Club, public golf, SR155 west of Electric City, 7 a.m. - dark; • Horseback Riding, near Grand Coulee; • Hiking trails at Candy Point, Northrup Canyon, Steamboat Rock, down river below Grand Coulee Dam;Bunchgrass Prairie Nature Trail at Spring Canyon; a historic walk through old Coulee Dam; • Houseboat, skiing and fishing boat rentals on Lake Roosevelt; • Boating on Banks Lake, Lake Roosevelt and Rufus Woods Lake; Small boat, party boat and paddle boat

Visitors’ Guide • Grand Coulee Dam Area • 2010-2011

During the Fourth of July festival, an Army band plays for the crowd in the park below the Visitor Center.

rentals at Coulee Playland, Electric City; • Swimming at Steamboat Rock State Park and Coulee Playland on Banks Lake; and at Spring Canyon on Lake Roosevelt; • Canoeing with a National Park Service ranger on Crescent Bay Lake, below the city of Grand Coulee, summer evenings. Dates are subject to change. Call 509-633-9441 for info. Check with a ranger for times, which change as the summer progresses. Meet in the parking lot at Spring Canyon.All canoeing equipment (canoes, paddles, life vests) is provided; • Gehrke’s Windmills, North Dam Park, Grand Coulee; • Panoramic view of Grand Coulee Dam, at Crown Point. Take Highway 174 two miles west toward Bridgeport and watch for signs.Great spot for camera buffs.

• Bowling at Riverview Lanes in Coulee Dam; • Public library, Federal Avenue, Grand Coulee; • Tennis courts at North Dam Park, Grand Coulee;

behind the credit union in Coulee Dam; and at Lake Roosevelt High School.

•Year-round fishing.

Where are the grocery stores/mini marts?

• Electric City — H&H Grocery, Coulee Playland and Sunbanks Resort.

• Grand Coulee — Tim’s 4-Corners 76 at the junction of SR155 and SR174; The Variety Store, 414 Midway Ave. • Coulee Dam — Harvest Foods & Variety, Coulee Dam Shopping Center.

• Elmer City - Shaw's Fruit & Produce, SR 155.

• Outer Area — Trading Post, SR155, Nespelem; Sandy's, Wilbur.

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Visitors’ Guide • Grand Coulee Dam Area • 2010-1011

Lake Roosevelt stretches 150 miles behind Grand Coulee Dam, a vista that can be seen from the Crown Point Overlook, managed by Washington State Parks, off SR-174, the highway to Brewster.

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Visitors’ Guide • Grand Coulee dam area • 2010-2011

Where can I get RV parts?

T N T Welding & RV Supply, Grand Coulee, and Coulee Hardware, Grand Coulee.

Where are holding tanks dumped?

At Coulee Playland,Electric City;Steamboat Rock State Park on Banks Lake;Spring Canyon on Lake Roosevelt; and at Coulee Dam's station on Stevens Street, one block off Columbia, near Chevron & Mini Mart.

Where can I get propane?

King’s Court RV Park, Grand Coulee RV Park and Tims 4-Corners 76, Grand Coulee. Coulee Playland, Electric City.

Where can I wash clothes?

• King’s Court RV Park, SR174 to Wilbur, in Grand Coulee.

Fall colors pop out on the approach to Electric City from the south.

Where can I buy hunting & fishing licenses?

• Coulee Playland

Is medical care available in the area ?

Coulee Medical Center is open six days a week with the emergency room open 24 hours a day.

It is located in Grand Coulee. Take SR174 toward Bridgeport, watch for road signs. The center is on the right quickly as you head toward Bridgeport.

Your Home Decorating Headquarters For Gifts & Accessories Since 1935 (877) 245-0096

The oldest continuous business in the Grand Coulee Dam Area

Now in our 75th Year!

www.columbiariverinn.com info@columbiariverinn.com • Three Diamond AAA Rated Motel • Next to Grand Coulee Dam & it's Laser Light Show (www.grandcouleedam.com) • In Room: Refrigerator, Microwave, Coffee Maker, Fiber Optic Internet connection Iron & Board • Outdoor Pool/Hot Tub • Fitness Center with Sauna • Business Center/ Conference Room • Corporate and Government Rates • FEMA Hotel/Motel Master List Lodging

loePP

FURNITURe & aPPlIaNCe 226 Main Street, Grand Coulee (509) 633-0430 • www.loepp.com

10 Lincoln St., Coulee Dam, WA 99116 Fax: (509) 633-2633 9

Visitors’ Guide • Grand Coulee Dam Area • 2010-1011

When you look at Grand Coulee Dam, remember that it is nearly a mile across the top, not including the Third Powerhouse. And consider yourself lucky if you ever see a big, impressive "spill" like this. That's not just water running down the 300-foot-tall spillway. It's money not made from generating electricity. Fish don't like it either, because too much spill pushes nitrogen into the water, leading to a condition in fish similar to "the bends" suffered by human divers who ascend to the surface too quickly.

Dam operators only spill water in the rare event that there's too much coming down the river to run through the generators for the amount of demand on the power grid at a given moment. However, very small spills occur every night from Memorial Day weekend through September during the Laser Light Show, still an impressive experience.

Grand Coulee Dam Facts: When was Grand Coulee Dam built and by whom?

The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation began construction of Grand Coulee Dam in 1933 as the key structure in its multipurpose Columbia Basin Project. It has since become the linchpin in harnessing the second largest river in the United States. It took nine years to build Grand Coulee Dam, but even more years of battling and political maneuvering before construction started. While it was recognized early in the century that the Columbia Basin had rich farmland that needed only water to flourish, the method for providing that water caused much controversy. A Spokane group insisted upon a 13410

mile gravity flow canal from Lake Pend Oreille to the Basin, while a Wenatchee/central Washington group favored building a big dam on the Columbia at Grand Coulee. The battle raged for 13 years.

At its conclusion, President Franklin D. Roosevelt authorized $60 million to get the dam project started.

In the Grand Coulee, life changed dramatically and quickly once work on the dam began in 1933. Not only did the undertaking of this massive project change forever the shape of the river, but overnight it created towns where nothing but sagebrush, sand and rocks had previously existed.

Thousands came to the Grand Coulee looking for work in the midst of the Depression. They worked around the clock to finish the dam by 1942.

Visitors’ Guide • Grand Coulee Dam Area • 2010-2011

Seventy Years Ago A pool or “tailrace” at the bottom of the spillway now absorbs the impact of the falling waters, without which, the river water would find its own way, with destructive effects on the river channel. This trough measures 30 feet deep, 90 feet wide and 1650 feet long.

How many dams are on the Columbia River?

How big is Grand Coulee Dam?

Altogether, a total of 11 dams have been built on the river in the United States as it winds its way from the Canadian border toward the Pacific Ocean; Grand Coulee Dam is the keystone of the Columbia River system dams. Five other dams in the Big Bend region of the river also offer facilities for visitors — Chief Joseph Dam on Highway 17 in Bridgeport; Wells Dam south of Brewster on Highway 97; Rocky Reach Dam north of Wenatchee on Highway 97; Wanapum Dam six miles south of the I-90 crossing of the Columbia; and Priest Rapids Dam on Highway 243.

Grand Coulee Dam dwarfs the Great Pyramids of Egypt and generates more power than a million locomotives. An engineering wonder, it is also the country’s largest hydroelectric project.

Grand Coulee Dam is one of the largest concrete structures in the world, containing almost 12 million cubic yards of concrete. It towers 550 feet above bedrock (as high as the Washington Monument) and is 500 feet wide at the base. There is enough concrete in the dam to build two standard six-foot wide sidewalks around the world at the equator.

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Visitors’ Guide • Grand Coulee Dam Area • 2010-1011

What is the dam’s main purpose?

How many acres does Grand Coulee Dam help irrigate?

Actually, Grand Coulee Dam has three important functions: irrigation, power production and flood control.Although electricity was not foreseen as a primary function when the dam was built, today the production of electrical energy is one of Grand Coulee Dam’s most important jobs.

Water supplied by Grand Coulee Dam irrigates more than 500,000 acres of rich farmland in the Columbia Basin annually.

Water from Lake Roosevelt (behind the dam) is lifted 280 feet up a hillside to flow into the Banks Lake reservoir, where it starts a journey that eventually covers an area more than twice the size of the state of Delaware. Each of the six conventional pumps in Grand Coulee’s PumpGenerator Plant is powered by a 65,000-horsepower motor and will pump 1,600 cubic feet of water per second, or 781,128 gallons per minute.

In addition, six pump-generators, each having a 67,500-horsepower rating, can pump 1,948 cubic feet of water per second. One of these 12 units can fill the water needs of a city the size of Chicago.

How is the electricity produced?

Electricity is generated by unseen torrents of wa-

ter rushing through the turbines within the dam’s hydro-electric plants. There are three powerhouses at Grand Coulee Dam with a total rated capacity of 6,809 megawatts, making this dam the largest hydro-electric producer in the United States.

View Grand Coulee Dam with its evening laser light show from Memorial Weekend to end of September

Melody Restaurant & Lounge

Complete Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner Menus

SERVING BREAKFAST UNTIL 2 P.M.

Open 6 a.m. Adjacent Coulee House Motel, Coulee Dam Casino, Riverview Lanes & Village Cinema East end of Columbia River Bridge in Coulee Dam

(509) 633-1151 for dinner & coach tour reservations

Foisy & Kennedy

Foisy & Kennedy, Inc.

Realty, Inc.

Insurance

Merle Kennedy, Broker

Listings available on our website: www.foisykennedy.com

Jerry Kennedy, CIC

309 Midway Ave., Grand Coulee

(509) 633-0410 • (877) 613-4192 Laurie Hilton, agent Patti Tufts, agent Lindi Haag, agent 12

Visitors’ Guide • Grand Coulee Dam Area • 2010-2011

While In The Area Stay in Shape

Call and Come Visit Us At Ralph’s storage

$7 Per Day! $10 Per Week Only $40 per month

RV & Mini Storage at Spring Canyon

Family & Group Rates Available

44581 Stagecoach Lane, Grand Coulee

Near Banks Lake and Lake Roosevelt

BodyByDam

Located 2 miles from Grand Coulee

Fitness Center

12x35 10x14

423 Midway, Grand Coulee

(509) 631-4875 body_by_dam_@yahoo.com

(888) 436-9350

GCD Area (509) 633-2458

Grand Coulee RV PARK (509) 633-0750 • (866) 633-0750 www.grandcouleedam.com/gcrv

• Showers & Restrooms • Resident Laundry Facilities • Fiber-Optic Computer Hookups • Propane Competitive Rates • Groups & Reservations Welcome • NEW OFFICE GATHERING ROOM • BIG RIG FRIENDLY

Located on Bridgeport Highway 174E

You pick Lavender Lavender Wreath Class July 2010 Garlic Braid Classes E-mail for details & registration ddddd

For farm tour call 509.633.2854 or 509.633.3061

Grand Coulee (Close to Dam & Lakes)

Tim’s 4-CornErs Union 76 Food Mart & fresH deli Touch-Free Car Wash

(509) 633-2472

UNFORGETTABLE TRAIL RIDES!!! near Grand Coulee Dam

Saddle up and enjoy Grand Coulee's Best Kept Secret!

RIDES 7 DAYS A WEEK 509.639.2604 Barn • 509.641.1003 Cell www.grandcouleedam.com/trailride

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Visitors’ Guide • Grand Coulee Dam Area • 2010-1011

How does Grand Coulee Dam help in flood control?

Each spring the water level of Lake Roosevelt, behind Grand Coulee Dam, is lowered to make space for massive amounts of water that will flow down the Columbia River in late spring and summer as rising temperatures melt snow in the Rocky Mountains.

The water is “captured” in the lake to prevent flooding downstream and to provide a steady flow of water for the whole year.

How big is Lake Roosevelt behind Grand Coulee Dam?

The dam’s blocking of the Columbia River has created Franklin D. Roosevelt Lake, which extends 151 miles upstream to the Canadian border. The reservoir has a shoreline of 660 miles, a surface area of 82,000 acres, and a total storage capacity of 9,562,000 acre-feet of water.

How is Lake Roosevelt managed for public recreation?

Recreation on the lake is managed cooperatively by three federal agencies and two Indian tribes. The National Park Service has authority for the portion of the lake and adjacent shoreland comprising the Lake Roosevelt National Recreation Area (LRNRA). The Colville Confederated Tribes and the Spokane Tribe manage

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public recreation along the areas of the lake and shoreline that fall within their reservation boundaries. Other partners cooperating in the lake’s management are the Bureau of Reclamation and the Bureau of Indian Affairs.

Each year, more than a million visitors enjoy the beauty and recreational opportunities of the Lake Roosevelt National Recreation Area.

How do I take a tour of Grand Coulee Dam?

Stop at the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation’s Grand Coulee Dam Visitor Center (VC) on SR155 just north of Coulee Dam. Abundant information and films are available at the VC. Call the VC at 509-633-9265 to inquire about tours.

See new interactive exhibits at the Visitor Center, even fly through the dam in a virtual reality game on a plasma screen.

What should I see while touring Grand Coulee Dam?

• View the award-winning movie, “The Columbia — a Fountain of Life,” at the Visitor Center.

Also showing is a movie about the Ice Age Flood that carved out the Grand Coulee.

• The Third Powerhouse tour willhave vans that will transport up to 29 people at a time from the elevator parking area to the floor of the powerhouse for the tour - then back to the parking area thru Coulee Dam. As of this time the incline elevator is closed for repairs, but may open in mid-summer.

• See the largest hydro-electric units in the nation in the Third Powerplant.

• See the dam from Crown Point State Park’s panoramic site. Two nature trails, Candy Point Trail and the Down River Trail, also offer exciting vantage points.

Visitors’ Guide • Grand Coulee Dam Area • 2010-2011

An alley you can play in…

Food • Pull Tabs • Daily Specials FREE POOL & DARTS

Riverview Lanes

515 River Drive, Coulee Dam

BAR & GRILL

Wed, noon - 9* Thurs. & Fri. 4:30 - 10* Sat. 3 - 10*

BENTZ TACKLE Walleye Spinners Blade-n-Bait Baitn-spin Jewel-n-Bead and Rufus Woods Special Marabous available

*depends on business

Hrs: 1 p.m. - 2 a.m. Daily Visa, MC Accepted • ATM on Premises

(509) 6332225

at COULEEPLAYLAND Banks Lake, Electric City

Come enjoy the fun and sun…

1-888-822-7195 • www.sunbanksresort.com

Trading Post Store

Ever wonder why so many people drive Ford Cars & Trucks?

Located on the Colville Indian Reservation 2-1/2 miles south of Nespelem

Have Lunch In Our Deli.

Takeout Also!

Open to the full public

Super Market Fresh Meat • Produce HBA • Gas & Diesel Open 7 days a Week (509) 634-2701

Mon. - Sat. 7 a.m. - 9 p.m.

Sun. 8 a.m. - 8 p.m.

Come in for a test drive on the Ford of your choice.

JESS FORD

on the Midway, Grand Coulee

(509) 633-0110 • www.jessford.com 15

Visitors’ Guide • Grand Coulee dam area • 2010-1011

Steamboat Rock survived the great floods that gouged out the Grand Coulee at the end of the last Ice Age.

Friendly & Affordable Open for

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Adventure!

Visitors’ Guide • Grand Coulee Dam Area • 2010-2011

Where can I camp?

At a private campground

Coulee Playland Resort , SR155, 509-633-2671.

King’s Court RV Park, SR174 (East), Grand Coulee, 509-633-3655, with laundry and more.

Grand Coulee RV Park, SR174 toward Bridgeport.

509-633-0750.

At a State Park

• Steamboat Rock State Park — One of the most popular attractions along Banks Lake, this park is a 900-acre camping, swimming, hiking and boating mecca. One of more than 100 state parks, Steamboat Rock is among Washington’s best. It has a sandy beach and sheltered swim area (no lifeguards), plus a modern bath house and a concession stand. The wide grassy picnic area contains playground equipment and a truly unique view of Banks Lake and Steamboat Rock.

For overnight camping, this state park offers 100 campsites with full hookups.Water, electricity, sewer, tables and stoves are on each site, and 26 standard sites with table, stove, and tent pad, plus 12 boat-in campsites located on the north end of Steamboat Rock. The restrooms have hot showers.

The park also offers 80 primitive sites at Jones Bay and Osborn Bay Campgrounds,with tables and stoves and vault toilets, but no running water.

Steamboat Rock State Park is part of the state’s reservation camping system. Reservations can be made year round by going online at www.parks.wa.gov or by calling 888-226-7688. The popular campground fills up fast and early reservations are recommended.

The park is open for camping year round.

Please Note: A permit is required at all state parks for boat launching, and trailer dumping.

Permits may be obtained at the park office or from the Washington State Parks Commission in Olympia, Washington.

At one of the NPS Campgrounds

beaches and interpretive programs,to primitive boatin campgrounds.

• Spring Canyon on SR174 is the closest NPS campground; turn left approximately three miles east of the town of Grand Coulee.

There are 87 campsites including RV (dump station but no hookups), tent and group camping sites. Fee is charged.Reservations are available by going online at www.recreation.gov or by calling 877-444-6777.

Other major NPS campgrounds are located at: Keller Ferry, Fort Spokane, Porcupine Bay and Kettle Falls.

• Keller Ferry is about 14 miles from Spring Canyon by boat, or 15 miles overland from the Highway 2 cut-off near Wilbur. This area includes a marina, store, houseboat rental operation and free ferry across the lake to the Colville reservation.

• Fort Spokane, built in 1880 and used by the US Army until 1898, it became an Indian agency, boarding school and tuberculosis hospital until the late 1920s.

It’s about 50 miles up the lake from Spring Canyon at the confluence of the Columbia and Spokane Rivers.

To see Fort Spokane, take SR174 to Highway 2, east, watch for road signs and turn north at Miles-Creston road, just east of Creston.

• The Fort Spokane campground is the second largest in the recreation area. Picnic area, historic trail, swim beach and boat launch are available, also.

• Kettle Falls at the north end of the lake is enjoyed for its beautiful setting and good boating. It also has a houseboat rental operation.

Indian Reservation Camping

There are several campsites on the Colville Indian Reservation open to non-members.

Various permits and random camp fees (for boats along the lake) can be purchased for one day, three days, seven days and seasonal.

If a ranger sells a permit in the field, there will be an additional fee. Look for reservation camping guidelines at area camping outlets, or call 509-634-3145.

There are 35 campgrounds located along the 660 miles of shoreline around Lake Roosevelt. Five of these are maintained by the Colville Confederated Tribes, two others by the Spokane Tribes and 28 by the National Park Service.

These facilities are available for camping, picnicking, boating, swimming and fishing.

NPS camping sites along the lake vary from fee campgrounds with major facilities, picnic areas, swim 17

Visitors’ Guide • Grand Coulee Dam Area • 2010-1011

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Visitors’ Guide • Grand Coulee Dam Area • 2010-2011

Are the fish biting?

Is fishing good in the Grand Coulee Dam area?

Walleye fishing on Banks Lake The three largest reservoirs in the way to fish the lake. During the cooler months, bank state of Washington are within fishing is popular where fishermen can stand by a fire 10 miles of Grand Coulee Dam or sit in their rigs while waiting for the fish to strike.

— Roosevelt, Banks and Rufus Still fishing is popular above Grand Coulee Dam durWoods all offer excellent yearing the winter and spring. round fishing. McGinnis and Buffalo lakes on the A tribal license is required on the north side of the Colville Confederated Tribes‘ reservation can also reservation on Colville Reservation and above the be fished .

Third Powerhouse.

Many changes have occurred to the warmwater fisheries on Banks Lake and Lake Roosevelt.

Increased smallmouth bass and walleye limits and reduced size restrictions should keep you out on the lake all day! Make sure you measure your fish and keep only what you can eat.

What kind of fishery is Banks Lake?

What kind of fish are found locally?

There are over 14 species of game fish found in nearby Franklin D. Roosevelt Lake, Rufus Woods Lake and Banks Lake. These include: largemouth and smallmouth bass, trout, kokanee, perch, crappie, whitefish, ling cod, sunfish and sturgeon. The sturgeon is by far the largest, and has been known to measure over 13 feet and weigh over 1,000 pounds. For fishing information contact Coulee Playland Resort at 509-633-2671.

When can I fish Lake Roosevelt?

This major waterway is a year-round fishery in Washington state. Fishermen are reminded to adhere to the state and tribal fishing regulations. Copies are available where fishing licenses are sold.

Rainbow and kokanee are the stars of the lake, with walleye and smallmouth bass in supporting roles.

In the summer months, trolling is the most popular

The sprawling Banks Lake reservoir covers 30,000 acres and is regarded as one of the finest fishing lakes in the state for bass, perch and walleye. In spring, summer and fall, it provides plenty of room for fishermen, both along its shores and from boats. In winter, ice fishing is popular and, depending on the winter, can last as long as four months.

Banks Lake has a growing reputation and is becoming increasingly attractive to bass organizations hosting tournaments. For more information on these tournaments, stop by or call the Coulee Playland Resort 509-633-2671.

Where are some Tribal Lakes?

Rufus Woods Lake - 52-mile reservoir stretching from Grand Coulee Dam to Chief Joseph Dam in Bridgeport, is an excellent fishery too. In the dam area, a boat launch is located near Elmer City on the Lower River Road. Heading north, turn left onto the Lower River Road just past Lake Roosevelt High

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Visitors’ Guide • Grand Coulee Dam Area • 2010-1011

School on SR155. Or ask one of the friendly folks in Elmer City. Boating is prohibited between the SR155 bridge and Grand Coulee Dam. McGinnis Lake - Take SR155 north from Coulee Dam toward Nespelem. Approximately one mile past Elmer City (three miles from Coulee Dam) turn right on the Peter Dan Road. Drive about three miles, then watch for a sign which indicates a left turn toward McGinnis and Buffalo lakes. Three or four miles after this turnoff, the road comes to a “T.” Take the right turn and the lake is a quarter mile away.

Buffalo Lake - Follow the same directions to McGinnis Lake, but turn left at the “T” instead of right. Buffalo Lake lies another three to four miles beyond, on a good dirt road.

Is it permissible to fish on the reservation?

Fishing is permitted on the waters of Rufus Woods Lake or within the Colville Confederated Tribes "designated fish area" with either a tribal permit or state license. More designated areas will be added later. For updates, you can call the state Department of Fish and Wildlife at 509-754-4624.

Non-members of the Colville Tribes must purchase a special permit for all other reservation waters.

These can be purchased at certain local businesses such as Coulee Playland Resort in Electric City.

Please note, a state license is required when fishing from the shoreline of Douglas County on Rufus Woods Lake. Also, anglers fishing the Spokane Arm (Lake Roosevelt) must have a Spokane tribal permit when they fish from the reservation shore out to the midpoint of the Spokane Arm’s channel.

Monthly Fishing Guide

January: Ice fishing attracts its own special following in the coulee. Some years, Banks Lake has safe ice for four months; other years, for only two weeks, and at times, no ice at all. Ice may form as early as December and run through February, or be available only for a fortnight in January.

A unique way to ice fish on this lake is at night using a gas lantern with the prey being whitefish. The best ice fishing spots on Banks Lake is the causeway area west of Electric City—for perch.

Many anglers fish the shoreline of Lake Roosevelt for large rainbow by parking their vehicle next to the lake. (Caution: unattended poles warrant a $100 fine.) A two-rod endorsement may be purchased 20

There are many different species of fish to catch. check the fishing regulations.

February: Walleye fishing now comes into its own, with boat fishermen launching their boats at the Elmer City ramp (below the dam; check on accessibility) and fishing either upstream to the Highway 155 bridge or downstream to Chief Joseph Dam, a distance of approximately 50 miles.

Shore fishing continues along Lake Roosevelt for large rainbow and kokanee (silvers or landlocked sockeye salmon).

March: During the month of March, the ice is about gone from Banks Lake and now the big walleye are caught.

Fishing is good not only from a boat on Lake Roosevelt but also from the shore. Crescent Bay Lake, midway between Grand Coulee and the dam, offers spiny ray fishing from the bank. Boats with motors are not permitted on the lake.

Visitors’ Guide • Grand Coulee Dam Area • 2010-2011

June: In Banks Lake, the walleye are taking jigs and spinners, just about anything tipped with a nightcrawler.

Lake Roosevelt is dotted with boats fishing for rainbow and silvers. Some fishermen use “hardware” (Pop Geer and Ford Fenders) while others use small spoons fished from either leaded line or with a downrigger 30 to 50 feet below the surface.

July/August: Lake Roosevelt is usually warm enough by the end of July that the water is tolerable for swimming close to shore.

During these warm months, however, fish will seek the cooler deep waters of the lake.

Other spiny rays that offer fishing all summer long are perch and “slab” crappie in the small coves along Banks Lake.

September/October: While the fishing is still exceptional in September, hunting season arrives.

With the emphasis now on hunting, sportsmen taper off their fishing during October.

Fishing off the beach is popular in the coulee.

The fishing is also good for walleye and trout in the Columbia River below Grand Coulee Dam. April: A continuation of March fishing patterns, with a few additions. The lakes on the Colville Indian Reservation open to fishing. McGinnis and Buffalo lakes provide excellent trout fishing. McGinnis Lake has only eastern brook with some exceeding three pounds. Buffalo carries “brookies”, rainbow and kokanee.

Weekend bass tournaments are scheduled April through October on Banks Lake. Bass tournament headquarters are usually at Coulee Playland Resort (between Grand Coulee and Electric City).

November/December: If the month of November has been cold, Banks Lake is beginning to freeze and ice fishing comes to mind. The small bays freeze first and offer fishing for yellow perch. By December, the lake is often ice-bound and holes are being cut in the ice.

FISHING REGULATIONS KEEP CHANGING. PLEASE REFER TO THE CURRENT STATE AND TRIBAL FISHING REGULATIONS FOR MORE INFORMATION.

May: Many area fishermen head for Grand Coulee Dam in May, where they fish directly upstream or downstream from the dam.

Rainbow and walleye are caught not only early in the evening but during the pre-dawn hours.

A major bass tournament is held on Banks Lake over the Memorial Day weekend.

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Visitors’ Guide • Grand Coulee Dam Area • 2010-1011

Hunting the coulee What’s it like?

To the outdoorsman who likes to hunt, the Grand Coulee Dam area offers unparalleled hunting pleasure. No matter if the hunter is in pursuit of fur, feathers or horns, the coulee has much to offer to the sportsman.

Beginning in September with the opening of dove season,through the middle of March when the rabbit season ends, the hunter will find a variety of animals, birds and waterfowl to test his or her skills.

Weather extremes are also a factor. The dove season opener usually brings the warmest weather of the year. A goose hunter in December and January may experience sub-zero temperatures, while the March rabbit hunter will encounter weather comparable to late October and early November.

The mourning doves arrive in July and by the first of September, the normal opening day, this migratory buzz-bomb is ready to test the mettle of the best wing shooter. They always fly fast. Then add a tail wind and they will appear and disappear in the blink of an eye. These birds can be found in stubble fields on both sides of the coulee walls and can also be found in sagebrush and scab land surrounding

Turkey hunting has become a popular sport in the area. some stubble fields.

With the end of dove season, usually around the middle of September, the hunter waits for the opening of the general hunting season in which upland birds, deer and waterfowl open on one glorious

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Seven locations to serve…

Almira, Brewster, Bridgeport, Coulee Dam, Creston, Omak, Republic

Visitors’ Guide • Grand Coulee Dam Area • 2010-2011

October Saturday.

By the middle of November, the deer season is Mule deer can be found in sagebrush-covered flatland usually over, except for a few special hunts and the and draws surrounding the coulee as can a few whiteonly quarry to be bagged are the upland birds and tail close to timber. waterfowl.

Special archery hunting By the end of Deseasons can also be cember, the dedifound in the area. cated goose hunter Opening day also sees becomes a solitary the upland bird hunter, figure in the fields, with his flushing and as most seasons usupointing dogs, huntally end the first of ing the brushy draws January. for quail, the rugged When the goose hills for chukkar and season ends in the the stubble fields for middle of January, Hungarian partridge or a few hunters will more commonly known begin hunting the as “huns”. cottontail rabbit unAt the same time, the til the end of Februwaterfowl hunter, with ary. his retriever, is scouring Deer are abundant in the area making for great hunting .

And then there is the small potholes and always fishing if a lakes for ducks and the stubble fields for geese. hunter gets tired and wants a change of pace As any bird and waterfowl sportsman knows, the during the day. birds soon become wary. Quail, chukar,“hun” and the Coulee country encompasses many acres of state occasional Chinese pheasant flush as the 4x4 stops and federal land that offer free hunting. Write to and it is only the skillful hunter who can put birds in the Department of Natural Resources, Olympia, for the game bag during this period. information and maps of the area.Or visit one of the The ducks cannot be found as they spend most of local businesses advertising hunting licenses. their days out of harm’s way on the waters of the big reservoirs.

The The goose hunter spends the days when he is not hunting, driving the miles of back roads in the coulee looking for feeding geese. Once the birds are spotted and found to be using a particular field,the hunters dig their pit long before daylight the following morning.

(They have been careful to obtain permission from the landowner first.)

Once the pit is dug, they wait in hope that the geese will return to the same field as they did the morning before.

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Visitors’ Guide • Grand Coulee Dam Area • 2010-1011

Looking up Lake Roosevelt from the Almira grade shows how vast the lake is.

Lake Roosevelt facts: When was Franklin D. Roosevelt Lake formed?

When construction of the Grand Coulee Dam was completed in 1941, the waters of the mighty Columbia River began to backfill behind this enormous concrete structure. As a result, the waters of the once untamed river now swelled to create a 151-mile long reservoir named Franklin D. Roosevelt Lake in honor of the 32nd President of the United States.

How many campgrounds are there in the LRNRA?

There are 35 campgrounds which are located along the 660 miles of shoreline around Lake Roosevelt. Five are maintained by the Colville Confederated Tribes, two by the Spokane Indian Tribe and 28 by the National Park Service.The facilities provide opporunities for camping, picnicking, boating, swimming and fishing.

What is the Lake Roosevelt Is there a fee for camping? sites along the lake vary from fee campgrounds National Recreation Area? Camping with major facilities, picnic areas, swim beaches and Lake Roosevelt is a federally-owned reservoir which is administered by the Bureau of Reclamation. However, recreation on the lake is managed cooperatively by three federal agencies and two Indian tribes.

The National Park Service (NPS) has recreation authority for that portion of the lake and adjacent shoreland comprising the Lake Roosevelt National Recreation Area (LRNRA). The Colville Confederated Tribes and the Spokane Tribe manage recreation along those areas of the lake and shoreline that fall within their reservation boundaries.The two other partners in the management agreement are Bureau of Reclamation and the Bureau of Indian Affairs.

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interpretive programs, to primitive boat-in campgrounds.

Which campground is closest?

The closest NPS campground is located at Spring Canyon on SR174; turn left approximately three miles east of the town of Grand Coulee.

There are 87 campsites including RV (dump station but no hookups), tent and group camping sites. Reservations are available online at www.recreation.gov or at 877-444-6777. A fee is charged.

Visitors’ Guide • Grand Coulee Dam Area • 2010-2011

What else is at Spring Canyon?

Spring Canyon has a beautiful sandy beach and adjacent shaded picnic area including grills and playground equipment. There are restrooms plus boat launching. A fee is charged.

Where can I hike in the LRNRA?

Lake Roosevelt National Recreation Area consists mainly of Lake Roosevelt and has very little land base. As a result, there are few hiking trails within the park. There is a self-guided nature trail at Spring Canyon, which starts at the campground.There are also trails at Fort Spokane, and Kettle Falls. When the lake level is low, you can walk many miles of interesting shoreline.

Does the NPS offer programs?

The National Park Service will offer ranger-conducted canoe trips on Crescent Bay Lake, below the city of Grand Coulee.

The group meets in the parking lot at Spring Canyon and car-caravans to the small lake. All canoeing equipment (canoes, paddles, life vests) is provided. First come, first served.

The evening adventure is not meant to be instructional in the operation of a canoe, but rather a nature “walk” on water. Visitors are likely to see beavers,deer, muskrats, great blue herons, Canada geese, turtles, frogs and nesting cliff swallows.

Other NPS-conducted activities at Spring Canyon include: • campfire programs at the amphitheater • hikes on the Bunchgrass Prairie Trail • children’s environmental education activities.

• Contact NPS before making plans. All programs are subject to change. Call 509-633-9441 or check campground bulletin boards.

Where are the other major NPS campgrounds?

Major campgrounds are located at: Keller Ferry, Fort Spokane, Porcupine Bay and Kettle Falls.

Keller Ferry is about 14 miles from Spring Canyon by boat, or 15 miles overland from the Highway 2 cut-off near Wilbur. This area includes a marina, store, houseboat rental operation and free ferry across the lake to the Colville Reservation.

Fort Spokane, built in 1880 and used by the US Army until 1898, became an Indian agency, boarding school

and tuberculosis hospital until the late 1920s. It’s about 50 miles up the lake from Spring Canyon at the confluence of the Columbia and Spokane Rivers. To see Fort Spokane, take SR174 to Highway 2, east, watch for road signs and turn north at Davenport on SR25.

Besides some of the original outposts, there is a visitor center and a trail. A free living history program is conducted on Sunday mornings at 11 a.m.

The Fort Spokane campground is the second largest in the recreation area. Picnic area, swim beach and boat launch are available, also.

Kettle Falls at the north end of the lake is enjoyed for its beautiful setting and good boating. It also has a houseboat rental operation.

St. Paul’s Mission includes the original site of Fort Colvile, once the second largest center for fur trading in the Northwest, and a rustic log missionary church. Close by are Sherman Pass and the Kettle River where hiking and canoeing are popular.

Where can I get an Interagency Senior Pass or Interagency Access Pass?

You can acquire either at the Fort Spokane Visitor Center during the summer months. The LRNRA headquarters office, 1008 Crest Drive in Coulee Dam, and the Kettle Falls Ranger Station have the passports available all year.

Interagency Senior Pass be obtained by persons 62 years of age or older.

Proof of age must be shown to receive a passport.

A small fee is charged.

The Interagency Access Pass admits people into many federal fee areas, including national parks, for free and reduced fees in campThe area offers many interesting grounds. It is places to hike. available for people with disabilities.

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Visitors’ Guide • Grand Coulee Dam Area • 2010-1011

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Visitors’ Guide • Grand Coulee Dam Area • 2010-2011

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Visitors’ Guide • Grand Coulee Dam Area • 2010-1011

Parks or Viewpoints What are the local choices for a picnic, viewing, easy hike or bike trail?

park, is located one block ahead on the west side of the river next to the Coulee Dam Credit Union. It is a pleasant area shaded by large trees and offers picnic tables, tennis, handball, horseshoes and basketball courts. Visitors are invited to picnic in Cole Park.

• Mason City Memorial Park - a Coulee Dam town park, is located in east Coulee Dam adjacent to the • North Dam Park – the upper half, maintained by shopping center and post office. It contains picnic the Bureau of Reclamation, is located on SR155, just tables and grills in a shaded setting.The park also has 0.3 miles south of its junction with SR174. It overa new building containing looks Banks Lake and has public restrooms and an picnic areas, water and information center manned rest rooms. by area volunteers. (Mason • Bicentennial Park – City was the early name of the lower half of North a portion of the town now Dam Park is maintained called Coulee Dam). The by the city of Grand information center displays Coulee. This green spot pictures of Mason City as it has a shady picnic area, appeared during the conrecently refurbished tenstruction years of Grand nis courts (free, but no Coulee Dam. The town of lights for evening play), Coulee Dam constructed softball fields, amphia new park with provisions theater, horseshoe pits, for viewing the laser show a covered grill, picnic at Grand Coulee Dam. The areas and playground The view from Crown Point is spectacular. new park is adjacent to equipment for children. Head out on Hwy 174 towards Bridgeport and the Columbia River Bridge, Restrooms available in watch for signs. across the street from the the upper half of North shopping area,and features Dam Park. live performances from A novelty of the park, the time to time.

Gehrke Windmills are a frequent tourist stop.Built by • Downriver Trail - a 6.7 mile hiking/jogging/biking a local resident,who made over 680 before his death trail along the Columbia River (Rufus Woods Lake) several years ago, the windmills are constructed of below Grand Coulee Dam was constructed by the castaway iron pieces and painted in bright colors. U.S. Bureau of Reclamation in late 1989.

Emil Gehrke’s windmills are recognized as "folk art" The landscaped trail, part of a road that is used by treasures and have been given media coverage on the U.S.B.R. for maintenance purposes, is open to television, and in National Geographic and Sunset the public. No motorized vehicles are allowed. A foot magazines. and bicycle bridge connects the system to the town • Grand Coulee City Park - located on SR174 east. A of Coulee Dam across from the Coulee House Motel. children’s play area and an adjacent picnic section This compact-gravel pathway is an excellent way to are found in this tree-shaded park.A large basalt rock view the river and enjoy a peaceful respite morning, in the center is typical of the natural landscape of the noon or night.

Grand Coulee. Restrooms and water are available.

• Douglas Park - found on SR155 in the town of Coulee Dam. This well-manicured park just below Grand Coulee Dam has large evergreen trees shading its picnic tables. A paved sidewalk takes the visitor to a scenic spot along the river providing an excellent view of the dam.

• Cole Park - also maintained by Coulee Dam, affords a variety of recreational activities.It is located just off You will find special delight in seeing the Grand Coulee SR155, five minutes north of the Visitor Center (VC). Dam and surrounding countryside from this hilltop.

Do not cross the Columbia River Bridge but continue Take SR174 two miles west of Grand Coulee (toward north onto Columbia Avenue past the bridge. The Bridgeport) and watch for signs.

Try Crown Point for a bird’s-eye view of the dam!

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Visitors’ Guide • Grand Coulee Dam Area • 2010-2011

“Coulee” Facts Is Banks Lake a natural lake?

Banks Lake is a 31-mile long reservoir, which was filled by the Bureau of Reclamation in the 1950s to provide irrigation water to the Columbia Basin.

The reservoir starts just east of the city of Grand Coulee and extends to Coulee City.

What the heck is a “coulee”?

As a geological term, coulee means a ravine or deep gully, usually dry, which has been cut by water. The Grand Coulee of eastern Washington was formed over millions of years by eruption of lava which solidified and was later swept away by massive and tumultuous Ice Age floods.

Forty million to 60 million years ago, a large inland sea covered the Columbia Basin.The basin was formed as a result of uplift in the surrounding territory. Ten million to 15 million years ago, volcanic eruptions began to occur and many layers of lava flowed over the basin forming the Columbia Plateau.Today, these layers can be seen as they erode, exposing the different lava flows.

Approximately two million years ago, the Ice Age began. Several times the ice pushed south and then retreated. Glaciers covered some of this area. It was during the last Ice Age, approximately 10,000 years ago, that an ice dam holding the waters of Lake Missoula (Montana) broke and massive floods swept through the area. Evidence suggests that one of the last floods had waters that were over 800 feet high.

It is these successive floods that carved and shaped the coulees and other landforms that are so prominent throughout the area.

What will I find in the Grand Coulee?

Besides the geological wonder of the Grand Coulee and the Banks Lake reservoir, there are some surprises hidden here, too. It is a wonderful wildlife habitat for dozens of species of birds, as well as for deer and coyote.The only natural forest in Grant County is located in a canyon of the coulee. Called Northrup Canyon, it

The coulee towers over highway 155. is located across the highway from Steamboat Rock State Park and is open to hikers.

Can I camp in the Grand Coulee?

Yes, campgrounds can be found at each end of the Grand Coulee and in the very heart of the coulee.

• Coulee Playland Resort — In Electric City, it's two miles from Grand Coulee and two miles from the golf course. It features 40 sites with full hookups, 25 primitive and 10 tent sites.showers,restrooms,laundry, mini-store, dump station and playground equipment, boat launch, marine fuel, boat rental and overnight docking. Campers also will find a swimming area (no lifeguard). Open all year round.

• Steamboat Rock State Park — One of the most popular attractions along Banks Lake,this park is a 900acre camp for swimming, hiking and boating. It has a sandy beach and sheltered swim area (no lifeguards), plus a bath house, a concession stand, a grassy picnic area with playground equipment, and a truly unique view of Banks Lake and Steamboat Rock.

It offers over 100 campsites with full hookups.Water, 29

Visitors’ Guide • Grand Coulee Dam Area • 2010-1011

passenger, a bell or whistle and a fire extinguisher. electricity, sewer, tables and stoves are located at each site, and 26 standard sites with table, stove, and tent pad, plus 12 boat-in campsites located on the north end of Steamboat Rock. The restrooms have Adventurous hikers should try Steamboat Rock.Head hot showers. At Jones Bay and Osborn Bay are 80 toward the saddle of the monolith, which can be seen primitive sites with table, stove, a vault toilet, but no from the park roadway. There are steep spots, but running water. they are not difficult for Steamboat Rock most hikers. The panState Park is part of oramic view from the the state’s reservatop is wonderful.There tion camping sysare approximately 640 tem. Reservations acres at the summit. for camping can Hikers may also venbe made online at ture into Northrup www.parks.wa.gov Canyon where they or by calling 888will find 3,120 acres of 226-7688. The popforested ravines tucked ular campground away between coulee fills up fast and walls.The area harbors early reservations the only natural forest are recommended. in Grant County and The park is open is a nesting ground for camping year for the bald eagle and round. a peaceful home for Please Note: A other wildlife. To hike permit is rethe area, contact the quired for boat rangers at Steamboat launching , and Rock State Park. trailer dumping A few cautions: Do not at the park. A wander too near the boat launching edge of the rock. Basalt annual pass may is not stable rock upon be obtained at which to depend for the park office or sound footing when from the Washapproaching the edgington State es. Stand a respectable Parks Commisdistance from the edge. sion in Olympia, Be aware also that this Banks Lake Golf Course Washington. is rattlesnake country.

Rattlesnakes are generally not lethal, but they should be avoided.You will find them around most of the local trails during summer months. While not particularly aggressive, they have been known to bite. If bitten, Boat launching ramps can be found at Steamboat seek medical attention. Finally, if you plan to hike an Rock State Park, 11 miles south of Grand Coulee on hour or more, carry water to quench your thirst and SR155, and at Coulee Playland Resort in Electric City. help avoid leg cramps.

There are two other launching sites found about midway along the lake. One is at Barker Canyon on the west side of the lake, and the other is on the small peninsula that juts out toward Steamboat Rock from the east side of the lake, just off the SR155.

Yes, the public may golf at Banks Lake Golf and While boating is great fun on Banks Lake, navigators Country Club located approximately 1.5 miles west of are cautioned that the lake can become rough very Electric City and about five miles from Grand Coulee quickly.Keep an eye on the weather,and carry the nec- Dam on SR155. essary safety equipment—flotation devices for each The 18-hole course is carved out of the natural slope

What about hiking?

Where can I launch my boat?

Is there golfing in the coulee?

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Visitors’ Guide • Grand Coulee Dam Area • 2010-2011

N

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Visitors’ Guide • Grand Coulee Dam Area • 2010-1011

Colvilles — Native People Who are the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation?

For hundreds of years before explorers and settlers reached the lands of the Columbia Plateau, numerous tribes of native people occupied the territory of eastern Washington.

Up to the mid 1850s, the ancestors of the Colville Confederated Tribes were nomadic, but life changed for them with the coming of settlers in the 1800s.

Tribal official John Stensgar addresses a crowd at the dedication of the new Chief Joseph Rest Area in Nespelem, one of the few rest areas not on interstate highways in Washington.

Today, the Colville Confederated Tribes is made up of 12 different bands of Indians. Eleven bands are from eastern Washington state,and one band,the Nez Perce, is from northeast Oregon.The 12 bands are:Wenatchi, Entiat,Chelan,Methow,Okanogan,Nespelem,San Poil, Lakes, Moses, Palus, Nez Perce and Sweelpoo.

How did these native Americans live?

As nomadic peoples, the different bands followed the seasons and their sources of food.

Deer and other big game, plus dried salmon were the primary food of winter. Small groups lived in the mountains and hunted the abundant game.

In the spring,the native people congregated in slightly larger groups to gather camas and other roots in the lower valleys. Through the summer and fall the Columbia River provided abundant salmon and other fish which encouraged large concentrations of Salishspeaking Colville people.

How did the different bands come to be called the “Colville” Tribes?

Many different tribes fished and traded goods with each other in the area of Kettle Falls, Washington. In 34

the 1820s, white people learned that the Indians excelled at trapping and stalking game for the large fur trade. For this purpose, a new fort was established at Kettle Falls by a man named Simpson.

The new post was to be called Fort Colvile, after the leading member of the committee of directors in London,Andrew Wedderburn Colvile.Andrew Colvile, who was in the rum and molasses business, never set foot in America. He had, however, advanced Simpson to his position of leadership.

Trading took place at Fort Colvile almost daily. From 1826 to 1887, Indians traded beaver, brown or black bear, grizzly, muskrat, fisher, fox, lynx, martin, mink, otter, raccoon, wolverine, badger and wolf. Beaver and otter were most important, but martin and bear became popular after the 1840s. As many as 20,000 pelts a year went out of Fort Colvile.

The word “Colville” was used by government officials not the aboriginal Indians, who never met Andrew Colvile. As time went on, and for convenience, the term “Colville” came more and more to be used as a designation for the native people of this area. Because of Fort Colvile, all neighboring bands were eventually confederated as Colville Indians.

By executive order of President Ulysses S. Grant on April 9, 1872, the Colville Indian Reservation was formed and became the permanent home to the 12 bands.

St. Paul’s Mission, near Kettle Falls, today includes the original site of Fort Colvile, once the second largest

Visitors’ Guide • Grand Coulee Dam Area • 2010-2011

center for fur trading in the Northwest,and a rustic log missionary church.Nearby is the Kettle Falls Historical Center Building which features native American crafts, history and a retail shop.The exhibit is open weekends in May and Wednesday through Sunday, 11:00am to 5:00pm from June 1 through LaborDay.

When were the boundaries of the Colville reservation established?

Tribal headquarters are located on the Colville Indian Agency campus near the town of Nespelem.

Powwow in Nespelem

The original reservation was in existence for less than three months of 1872 when other executive orders and agreements began to take portions of the reservation for public domain.

Over a 10-year period the Colville Indian Reservation was reduced to its present size, less than half the original.

How big is the Colville reservation?

The Colville Indian reservation is 2,300 square miles — about 1.3 million acres. It is bigger than the state of Rhode Island.

How many Colvilles are there today?

More than 8,500 people are members of the Colville Confederated Tribes.

How is the reservation governed today?

Where is the tribal government located?

Today’s Colvilles,an enterprising and progressive community of people, are a sovereign nation governed by their own administrative and judicial branches within the boundaries of the reservation. Leading the tribal membership is a 14-member business council elected from the four reservation districts of Omak, Nespelem, Keller and Inchelium.

What kind of businesses are operated by the Colville Tribes?

Timber and wood products are at the heart of the Colville Tribes’ multi-million dollar industries. Overseeing the $100 million in tribal business ventures on the reservation is the Colville Tribal Enterprise Corporation (CTEC).

There are about 1,000 people employed on the reservation.

Alongside its timber operation, CTEC operates a veneer and power plant and a sawmill near Omak, Wash.,and a state-of-the-art wood treatment plant at Inchelium. About 80-million board feet of lumber are logged each year.The Tribes also has its own nursery to replant and grow trees.Treated posts and poles from the reservation are marketed all over the world.

The tribal fish hatchery stocks all the lakes and streams in north central Washington state.

Another source of tribal tourism income comes from the Tribes’ three casinos at Manson, Coulee Dam and Okanogan. There are three grocery stores on the reservation, all owned and operated by CTEC. The CTEC offices are located in Coulee Dam.

What are some of the cultural/religious practices on the reservation?

Proud of their heritage, the Indian culture and religions are very much alive and active on the Colville reservation. There are the Seven Drums and the Indian Shaker religions as well as the Indian Winter Chinook Dances, the annual spring thanksgiving Root Feasts, and the memorial giveaways in honor of the deceased.

Today, many of the young and elder tribal members continue to celebrate seasonal events such as

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Visitors’ Guide • Grand Coulee Dam Area • 2010-1011

A group of mostly Colville veterans and others gather for an annual Veterans Day ceremony in front of tribal headquarters. By far, the proportion of veterans is higher among American Indians than any other group in America. the annual Sunflower Festival at the Paschal Sherman Indian School, Omak, the July 4th Powwow Celebration at Nespelem, the powwow at the Omak Stampede in August and other traditional gatherings. At these events, and at a number of locations on the reservation, members display traditional bead and buckskin items often done in designs handed down for generations.

In Nespelem, the powwow takes place in the Tribes’“Circle,” a traditional gathering place. Indi-

ans arrive from reservations in Montana, Idaho, Washington and Oregon to join in the festivities.

Authentic ceremonial dress, stick games, dozens of teepees and a long-established rodeo make the celebration memorable. This Annual Fourth of July Celebration lasts for 10 days. The public is invited to attend the powwows and other tribal-sponsored activities, including a meal of traditional foods.

The $4.3 million Colville Indian Health Clinic on the Colville Indian Agency campus near Nespelem serves members with an up-to-date facility.

36

Visitors’ Guide • Grand Coulee Dam Area • 2010-2011

Is there an Indian museum?

From Nespelem take Cache Creek road over a quiet and picturesque mountain pass to Keller on the San Poil arm of Lake Roosevelt. There is a free ferry across Lake Roosevelt here, which has been in operaThe Colville Confederated Tribes' (CCT) Museum tion since 1948. Farther east over another forested first opened in 1995 and is located in Coulee mountain pass is the scenic community of Inchelium.

Dam at 512 If traveling west,conMead Way. tinue from Nespelem on Highway 155 over The A-framed beautiful Disautel structure was Pass to Omak in the once a Catholic sunny Okanogan church. During Valley.

2009, the main There are 18 wellexhibit gallery stocked lakes on will be closed the reservation with for renovation. limited fishing as A small, changwell as hunting for ing exhibit non-members.Inforgalley is located mation about these sporting activities in the lower is available from the level along with Tribal Fish and Wildthe museum life Department in gift shop. When Nespelem (509) 634completed, A cedar root basket for gathering berries is typically water tight.

2110. the renovated museum will feature exhibits representing each of the 12 bands of Indians now found on the Colville Indian Reservation: Okanogan, Nespelem, SanPoil, Nez Perce, Chelan, Wenatchi, Entiat, Methow, Lakes, Sweelpoo, Palus and Moses.

What is sold in the gift shop?

The CCT Tribal Museum Gift Shop features such items as traditional clothing, beaded items, books, silver and turquoise jewelry and Pendleton Woolen Mills products, such as bags, cups and coats, The inventory is always changing to include new merchandise and art work.

What can visitors see and do on the reservation?

While traveling through the Colville Reservation, visitors are invited to visit the tribal headquarters near Nespelem or the other reservation communities.Just another two miles north, in the town of Nespelem, is a memorial to Chief Joseph who was sent to the reservation in 1884 with 150 of his band of Nez Perce Indians. Joseph, famous for his intelligence and peacekeeping efforts, is best remembered for the heroic march by his people in the late 1800s in an effort to resist the gradual and painful takeover of Indian land by non-Indians.

MUSEUM GALLERY GRAND OPENING July 2010

Hours of Operation:

GIFT SHOP

Mon. - Fri. 7:30 a.m. - 4 p.m.

512 Mead Way • Coulee Dam 509.633.0751/FAX 509.633.2320 e-mail - ctmuseum@couleedam.net

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Visitors’ Guide • Grand Coulee Dam Area • 2010-1011

Laser Show Facts 2010 Laser Show Times Nightly at Grand Coulee Dam May 29 to July 31 at 10:00 p.m.

Aug. 1 to Aug. 31 at 9:30 p.m.

Sept. 1 to Sept. 30 at 8:30 p.m.

plification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation. It is so commonly used now that the tradition of using capital letters for an acronym has been dropped.

How are the lasers used at Grand Coulee Dam?

As one of the largest entertainment laser projection systems in the world, the lasers at Grand Coulee Dam include two argon and two krypton beams. Argon produces blue and green light and krypton produces red light.

By combining the lights through a system of mirrors, and by varying the intensity, a full spectrum of colors is produced.

How long is the laser show?

What is the purpose of the show?

The laser light show lasts approximately 35 minutes during which time colorful images created by the lasers move back and forth across the huge surface of the dam.

The laser light show at Grand Coulee Dam tells the story of the Columbia River and how its power was harnessed to provide multiple benefits to mankind, including electrical power, irrigation for farming and exciting recreational opportunities.

Where can I view the show?

The best locations are the seating area at the Visitor Center and from the park below the Visitor Center.

These areas provide an outdoor sound system.

The Town of Coulee Dam has a park — terraced and grassy for viewing the laser show — adjacent to the east end of the Columbia River bridge.

Other viewing spots are: from the parking lot near the dam’s Third Powerhouse, from Douglas Park in Coulee Dam; from Crown Point atop the granite cliffs above Lake Rufus Woods, access from SR174 towards Bridgeport.

The USBR broadcasts the audio portion of the laser light show nightly at 90.1 FM.

What is a laser?

Lasers are intense beams of light commonly used in medicine and defense, but now finding a niche as a high-tech, fast-moving form of entertainment. They are controlled by computers which, at Grand Coulee Dam, are encased in a glass booth displayed at the Visitor Center.

Although a single dot of light, lasers can trace an image so rapidly it appears as a solid figure to the human eye.

The term laser is actually an acronym for Light Am38

How much did the lasers cost?

The laser light program, authorized by Congress to enhance visitors’ appreciation of this federal project, cost about $785,700. The laser show is an efficient communications tool, providing information and entertainment for thousands of visitors at one time.

How big are the laser images?

Pictures are beamed at the awesome height of nearly 300 feet.

How far do the lasers project?

During shows, the laser lights are beamed between 2,000 and 4,000 feet to the surface of the dam.

Who tells the story?

The “narrator” of Grand Coulee Dam’s laser light saga is the mighty Columbia River itself.

Looking back over its ancient past, the river describes those dramatic events that led to the carving of the Grand Coulee, the building of an immense dam to hold back its rushing waters, and the use of the river to reclaim a desert.

Visitors’ Guide • Grand Coulee Dam Area • 2010-2011

Welcome to Wilbur If it is outdoor recreation you’re after, Wilbur is the place to be!

Visitors are always welcome to stop by the semiprivate Big Bend Golf and Country Club at the west end of town to enjoy a round or two on the challenging nine-hole golf course.

The course features well-maintained greens on a relatively level course with a few sand traps. Rental clubs and carts are available and lessons can be provided for a novice golfer. The clubhouse gives visitors a place to relax and enjoy a cool drink or a bite to eat.

Emerson Park at the east end of town belongs to the school district, but is available for public use. You can enjoy a jog around the track, a fast-paced game of tennis, or bring a group of family or friends for a game of baseball or touch football.

Downtown, you can relax in the shade of one of the most beautiful city parks around. The well-kept lawns are framed with splendid old trees and a rustic footbridge crosses Goose Creek, which flows through the center of the park. The Centennial Pavilion at the south side of the park is available for public use.

Across from the creek is the public swimming pool.The Wilbur pool is open throughout the summer months, and for a small fee, local residents and visitors can take advantage of the opportunity for a refreshing swim. The west end features a diving board, and a wading pool for younger children is available at the east end of the facility.

A couple of blocks to the west of the pool, you can find an outdoor rink for in-line or roller skating.Hockey has become a year-round activity at this site.

Extensive recreational opportunities are available within a short distance of town. Hunting, fishing, boating, camping and water skiing are among the most popular of these activities.

If you decide to stay around for a few days at one of the town’s RV parks or motels, be sure to take advantage of the Hesseltine Public Library, located at city hall, a block north of Highway 2 on Division Street.

More than 1,000 books are just waiting to be read and enjoyed.

The Big Bend Historical Society Museum, located in a former church building a block north of Sandy’s Thrift, allows the visitor to step back into Wilbur’s past.

Among the many items on display is the gun taken from the hand of Wilbur’s founding father, Samuel Wilbur Condon, after he was killed in a shootout over a woman in January 1895. Condon, more commonly

ntry Lane Campgroun Cou d & RV Park Cook Shack & Catering

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Visitors’ Guide • Grand Coulee Dam Area • 2010-1011

A crop duster outside of Wilbur.

known as Wild Goose Bill, and a young man named Barton Parks, were both killed in the shootout.

Another important display involves the outlaw Harry Tracy who died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound in a wheat field east of Creston in August, 1902. The wounded Tracy was surrounded by a Creston posse, and apparently saw no chance for escape when he chose to take his own life rather than face capture.

The museum is open on a limited basis, but volunteers are usually available to open the facility for anyone wanting to pay a visit. Call (509) 647-2359 or city hall at 647-5821.

Sandy’s Family Foods Full Service Grocery

Bakery • Deli • Espresso “Our family serving yours for over 20 years!”

(509) 647-2800

509 N.W. Main St. • Wilbur, WA 99185 40

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Visitors’ Guide • Grand Coulee Dam Area • 2010-2011

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Visitors’ Guide • Grand Coulee Dam Area • 2010-1011

The Okanogan County Courthouse has been the subject of much debate over the last few years — whether to keep the old building because of its historical significance, or build a new complex.

Voters decided to keep it, and it's being retrofitted with modern necessities.

At right, a monument to those men from Okanogan County who gave their lives during "the world war."

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Visitors’ Guide • Grand Coulee Dam Area • 2010-2011

Welcome to Okanogan County You have just discovered Washington State’s best-kept secret — Okanogan.

Okanogan is the heart of the scenic, historic and fruitful Okanogan Valley. Located in north central Washington, 50 miles from the Canadian border, Okanogan residents enjoy a quality of life characterized by extraordinary scenic beauty,low taxes,recreation,low cost of living and four distinct seasons each year.

Okanogan has become a magnet for young families, retirees, businesses, tourists, light industry and recreation enthusiasts looking for a pristine environment.

The Okanogan Valley is one of the few remaining locations where individual boldness and enterprise are rewarded, and where past, present and future are viewed with enthusiasm and promise.

Okanogan is a Salish Indian word meaning “Rendezvous.” Sometimes called “The Late Frontier,” the Okanogan Valley saw habitation by Native Americans for thousands of years, and — belatedly, compared to other regions of the country — saw a succession of explorers, prospectors, miners, trappers, cattlemen, settlers, loggers, farmers, missionaries and orchardists, providing in every respect a colorful history that carries forward to the present day.

The history of the region is ably depicted in the acclaimed Okanogan County Historical Museum in Okanogan.

Part of that history now includes a replica of the old Okanogan fire department building in Legion Park.

It’s an exact replica of the old fire station building.

It is used as a fire department museum, as well as a research center for the Okanogan County Historical Society and the Okanogan County Genealogical Society.

A refurbished,early model fire truck is displayed,along with other interesting items.

With first-rate schools, medical facilities and other amenities, Okanogan is a great place to visit, live, work, establish a business, locate an industry, enjoy recreation and more.

Okanogan is served by rail, highway and air, and is home to first-class motel and restaurant services.

Okanogan is home to Okanogan Public Utility District, which provides Okanogan County with reliable, inexpensive electrical power.Infrastructure is in place or in development for commercial and industrial expansion.

A lively retail business district provides a complete range of goods and services for visitors and residents

A replica old fire hall in Okanogan

alike.

Distinguishing Okanogan in the Okanogan Valley region is one of the most precious commodities in the area — water! Okanogan has plenty of pure, clean water for residential and industrial use.

Okanogan enjoys more than 300 sunny days per year. The area has four distinct seasons during the year with hot summers, snow in the winter, and perfect spring and autumn seasons.

Conditions in the Okanogan area have produced the finest location in the world for orchards including apples, pears, peaches, cherries, nuts and others. Okanogan is the center of the Okanogan Valley fruit industry.

The scenic Okanogan River winds its way through the center of the city. Each year, thousands of Canada geese and other waterfowl migrate throughout the Okanogan Valley following the river.

Visitors can hike, camp, fish, hunt, swim, boat, ski, snowmobile, golf, climb, sight-see, as well as enjoy clean air, clean water and all the amenities of an urban locale with a hometown feeling.

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Visitors’ Guide • Grand Coulee Dam Area • 2010-1011

Flowing through the Okanogan Valley just north of Omak, the Okanogan River slips down the cleft of what geologists say is the meeting point of two ancient subcontinents that once were separated by a sea.

Center of the Okanogan Valley Omak

The busy hub of the Okanogan features year-round entertainment for tourists from all walks of life.

Whether you’re looking for a relaxing vacation full of camping and recreation activities or you want to attend a play, go to a rodeo or play some softball, you can do it all in Omak.

Visiting Omak is like taking some good medicine. At least that’s what some of the Indians thought when they traveled across the vastness of what is now called Okanogan County.

The center of the county is Omak, which means“good medicine,”because of its dry, healthful climate.Warm summers and mild winters lead to an average of over 300 days of sunshine a year.

Located in the fertile Okanogan River Valley near the pristine Pasayten National Wilderness, this lumber town is the largest in the north central part of the state and is known for its production of apples and its many orchards.

Visitors are encouraged to make the Tourist Information Center their first stop. A friendly staff will provide updated information for all areas of Okanogan County, the state of Washington and neighboring British Columbia, including available tourist attractions, facilities and services.

As the hub of the“all season”Okanogan vacationland, Omak offers vacationers a wide range of recreational opportunities. The city-operated Eastside Park offers full camping, R.V. facilities and showers, a new swimming pool, a golf course and bowling.

44

Conconully State Park

Conconully State Park, located in a side valley above Omak, is a cool, restful oasis on the banks of the Conconully reservoir, developed in the 1900s for irrigation. The park features standard and primitive campsites, and an expansive picnic area, complete with enormous shade trees, a picnic shelter, and a wading pool and play structure for youthful visitors.

Near the park entrance, a replica of the first county courthouse stands. It features a sod roof and is typical of many of the ranch cabins that dotted this landscape in the early years of white settlement in Okanogan County.

Enjoy the convenience of 24-hour fueling service With a Pacific Pride fueling card you can stop at any Pacific Pride station nationwide any hour of the day or night.

Travel with confidence and enjoy the convenience.

For more information, please call,

Whitley Fuel LLC PACIFIC PRIDE

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An Independent Franchise of Pacific Pride

1-800-955-FUEL Locally located on the Midway in Grand Coulee

Visitors’ Guide • Grand Coulee Dam Area • 2010-2011

To reach the park, take the Riverside cut-off road from Highway 97, 5.2 miles north of Omak.The cut-off road will intersect Highway 215, follow this highway 10 miles to Conconully and follow signs to the park.

Bridgeport State Park

Bridgeport State Park is located near the enormous hydroelectric facility at Chief Joseph Dam. The green, fertile lawns of the park form a welcome relief from the brown, barren desert surroundings.

The park features standard, RV hookups and handicap-accessible campsites, picnic sites and shelters, a children’s play facility, swimming beach, trailer camp and a nine-hole golf course.

To escape from the summer heat, cottonwood and aspen trees are scattered throughout the campground. Wildlife that can be seen in the park include marmots, coyotes, rabbits, quail and (watch your step) rattlesnakes.

The park is located near the town of Bridgeport on a spur road off Highway 17.

Alta Lake State Park

On a forested side canyon, above the arid valley near Pateros, is lovely Alta Lake State Park. Elevation, foliage and the cool waters of Alta Lake make this park a popular summertime attraction.Boating,trout fishing, camping and hiking are some of the many activities available here.

Memories Saved Now! Photo Reprints while you wait.

Color Copies • Faxes Printing • Information

See if you can spot this Virgil Marchand sculpture of Sasquatch high above SR-155 on the way to Omak at Disautel Pass.

Campers can find standard, RV hookups and primitive sites, plus a group camp for clubs and organized groups. Nearby attractions include a golf course, guided horseback rides and boat rentals. To find the park, drive 1.8 miles west on Highway 153 from Pateros, turn left on Alta Lake Road and follow the signs to the park.

After a busy day, tourists wishing for a little relaxation and entertainment combination are urged to attend a program at Omak’s Performing Arts Center. The organization's ultimate goal is to bring the world’s great performers to Okanogan County in its stateof-the-art theater.

The center presents live music,dance,and serious adult theater. Stand-up and clap aloud as family entertainment abounds from the 564-seat center.

Celebrate Grant County's History!

A walk thru the past…

in Grant County's Historical Museum, situated on 3-3/4 acres, a complex of 35 buildings preserving the historical legacy of Grant County. The Historical Village comes to life at the Annual Living Museum & Pioneer Day.

LIVING MUSEUM • Saturday, June 12th PIONEER DAY • Saturday, September 25th • Grant County Historical Society was Chartered 59 Years Ago • Grant County Museum Celebrates its 40 Year Anniversary

Museum Opens Saturday, May 15 for 2010 Season

3 Midway Ave., Grand Coulee

633-1350 • www.grandcoulee.com

742 Basin Street NW, Ephrata

(509) 754-3334

Museum Closes For Season September 30, 2009 Paid for by Grant County Tourism

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Visitors’ Guide • Grand Coulee Dam Area • 2010-1011

Long way down

The photographer's dog peeks over the edge near the Dry Falls Interpretive Center, overlooking what what a giant cataract left behind during the floods that shaped the coulee in the last Ice Age.

46

Visitors’ Guide • Grand Coulee dam area • 2010-2011

other great day tours

Cruise North America’s Deepest Gorge Any trip to NCW is not complete without a tour of “North America’s Deepest Gorge” and the mountain community of Stehekin at the headwaters of Lake Chelan. Just a little over an hour from Grand Coulee, Lake Chelan is an easy jaunt, though the far end of the lake is only accessible by boat or float plane as there are no roads to the upper half of the lake. Not to worry, the “Lady of the Lake” provides yearround service and tours to the far end of this lake.

The boat trip takes you from the lower basin deep into the Cascades. The ultimate desti-

nation is the small isolated community of Stehekin which sits at the head of the ancient lake, and at the foot of a mountain pass once used by Indians traveling on foot over the mountains. Stehekin is an old Indian word meaning “the way through.”

During your layover in Stehekin, make sure to enjoy one of the several valley tours offered. Reservations can be made in advance with the Lady of the Lake to ensure availability. The new “Lady Cat“ cuts the travel time to the other end, with speeds up to 50 miles per hour.

Would you like to be in next year’s Visitors' Guide?

Come and play on the new “Downhill racer”.

Located on a butte overlooking Lake Chelan, Slidewaters is one of the Northwest’s largest and most popular waterslide parks.

9 Waterslides 2 tube rides 60 person Hot tub Swimming Sunbathing Free public Viewing

Concessions arcade Gift Shop picnic area Volleyball Fun for all ages…

NEW RiDE 2005 “SPEED RACER” (509) 682-5751 www.slidewaters.com

Experience the 400 Foot TUBE BLASTER!

Call 1-888-633-1350 or e-mail to

star@grandcoulee.com 47

Visitors’ Guide • Grand Coulee Dam Area • 2010-1011

Stehekin Landing: Courtesy Lake Chelan Boat Co.

North America’s Deepest Gorge: Continued...

Along with the new Lady Cat, there are also two other vessels that make the daily trip to Stehekin giving you several choices to mix and match the schedules into a combination that fits your time frame. Utilizing the various schedules, you can create a layover in Stehekin anywhere from 1 hour to 7 hours.

During your stay in Stehekin, you can take advantage of tours like the High Bridge Lunch tour, the Rainbow Falls tour, a self guided bike tour, horseback rides, fishing, day hiking, or just wandering around the valley. To make reservations, call the Lady of the Lake office at 509-682-4584 or the recorded info line at 509-682-2224.

Winter View from the air: Courtesy Lake Chelan Boat Co.

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Visitors’ Guide • Grand Coulee dam area • 2010-2011

Far in the background, Steamboat Rock rises from Banks Lake, whose water all is pumped up into the feeder canal by pumps at Grand Coulee Dam. The canal and penstocks, each as big around as a bus, are visible just above and to the right of the dam.

n e E tertainment Liv

V acation this year

Get more

in Grant County, Washington

Sculptures of Coyote howling at the moon are two of several at the park near the Omak Visitor Center,installed by the Colville Tribal Arts Association.

www.tourgrantcounty.com Grant County Tourism Commission • P.O. Box 37 • Ephrata, WA 98823

800.992.6234

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Visitors’ Guide • Grand Coulee Dam Area • 2010-1011

Resort Community of Lake Chelan Centrally located about 150 miles between Spokane and Seattle, Lake Chelan is an easy drive from almost anywhere in Washington State and offers all the comforts of a resort community with the natural splendor of wilderness adventure. The valley includes portions of a national park, two national forest wilderness areas, and a national recreation area. At the lower end of the lake lies the resort community and town of Chelan. Chelan is wellknown throughout the state as one of the premier resort destinations for sun seekers.

Tastes of all types can be satisfied in Chelan that is host to activities as diverse as a WRA rodeo and a summer Bach festival. The Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation opened a casino on tribally-held trust land at Manson. The casino adds one more great attraction to this already splendid and interesting area. Visitors will find plenty of lodging and restaurants available to add pleasure to days spent in the amiable community. Slidewaters at Lake Chelan, with nine waterslides,

is one of the largest such parks in the Northwest. It’s a tempting time-out for families in the hot summer sun.

A beautiful golf course overlooks the lake. History buffs can see several old buildings still in use and in excellent condition. In summer, the fourmile-long Chelan River can be seen roaring through its gorge and over the Chelan Falls on its way to the Columbia River. If you wish to continue your vacation through Chelan, contact your motel or the Lake Chelan Visitor Information Center TOLL FREE at 1-877-440-7933

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Visitors’ Guide • Grand Coulee Dam Area • 2010-2011

Clothing For the Entire Family “Three Stores in One”

• Clothing •

Men’s, Women’s & Children’s

• Shoes •

All Styles ~ All Major Brands Athletic Shoes

• Western •

Clothing & Accessories • Boots • Hats • Jewelry • Books • Videos • Tack

Rodeo culture starts young in Okanogan County, with one of the biggest junior rodeos around,The Nespelem Junior Rodeo, each April.

How far is it from Grand Coulee Dam to: Brewster Bridgeport Chelan Coulee City Davenport Ephrata Moses Lake Nespelem Okanogan Omak Seattle Spokane Wenatchee Wilbur

DOWNTOWN OKANOGAN

(509) 422-2760

To Republic Conconully

Omak 49 miles SR 155 Okanogan 39 miles SR 21 75 miles Nespelem Brewster Keller 31 miles To Chelan SR 174 Grand Coulee Dam Area 51 miles SR 174 60 miles Wilbur SR 155 SR 17 US 2 75 miles US 2 Coulee City To Wenatchee 17 miles 55 miles Ephrata 50 miles 225 miles I-90 Moses Lake 90 miles George To Seattle 90 miles 22 miles

To Spokane

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Visitors’ Guide • Grand Coulee Dam Area • 2010-1011

AD INDEX AIR CONDITIONING/HEATING Highway Tire......................................... 13 Air Care Systems.................................. 40 AUTO SALES & RENTALS Fuller & Son...............................................2 Jess Ford................................................. 15 BOWLING Riverview Lanes................................... 15 CASINOS Coulee Dam Casino............................ 41 CLOTHING Coulee Playland......................................4 Harvest Foods..........................................2 Rawson's................................................. 51 Variety Store.............................................9 FARM TOURS D&M Gardens Spring Canyon Alpacas..................... 13 FURNITURE Loepp’s.......................................................9 FRUIT STANDS Shaw's.........................................................3 FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS Coulee Dam Federal Credit Union.......................................... 22 FISHING SUPPLIES Bentz Tackle........................................... 15 Coulee Playland......................................4 H&H Grocery............................................4

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GASOLINE/MECHANICS Tim’s 4-Corners Union 76.................. 13 Trading Post........................................... 15 Whitley Fuel........................................... 44 GOLF COURSE Banks Lake Golf Course..................... 18 GROCERY STORES/MINI MARTS Coulee Playland......................................4 H&H Grocery............................................4 Harvest Foods..........................................2 Sandy’s Family Foods......................... 40 Tim’s 4-Corners Union 76.................. 13 Trading Post........................................... 15 Variety Store.............................................9 HEALTH CLUBS BodyByDam........................................... 13 HORSEBACK RIDING Northrup Canyon Horseback Riding................................ 13 MEDICAL FACILITIES Coulee Medical Center...................... 55 INSURANCE Foisy & Kennedy Inc............................ 12 State Farm.................................................4 INFORMATION CENTERS Grand Coulee Chamber..............26-27 Grant County Tourism........................ 49 Okanogan County Tourism.............. 16

Visitors’ Guide • Grand Coulee Dam Area • 2010-2011

AD INDEX MOTELS/CAMPING Columbia River Inn................................9 Country Lane Campgrounds........... 39 Coulee House Motel........................... 56 Coulee Playland......................................4 Eight Bar B Motel................................. 40 Grand Coulee Center Lodge...............8 Grand Coulee RV Park........................ 13 King’s Court RV Park........................... 23 Lakeview Terrace................................. 25 Sunbanks Lake Resort........................ 15 Sky Deck Motel..................................... 18 Trailwest.....................................................3 Willows Motel..........................................2 MUSEUMS Colville Tribal Museum...................... 37 Grant County Historical Museum.............................. 45 REAL ESTATE Foisy & Kennedy Inc............................ 12 Katz Realty Inc....................................... 40 RESTAURANTS/BARS DRIVE-INS Electric City Bar & Grill..........................4 La Presa......................................................3 Melody Restaurant.............................. 12 Pepper Jack’s Bar & Grille.....................4 R&A Café....................................................3 Sunbanks Lake Resort........................ 15 Wolf's Den.............................................. 15

SOUVENIRS Colville Tribal Museum...................... 37 Coulee Dam Casino............................ 41 Coulee House Inn & Suites............... 56 Coulee Playland......................................4 H&H Grocery............................................4 Harvest Foods..........................................2 GCD Chamber.................................26-27 Grant County Historical Museum.................................................. 45 Rawson's................................................. 51 Sandy’s Family Foods......................... 40 Shaws Fruit...............................................3 Sunbanks Lake Resort........................ 15 Tim’s 4-Corners Union 76.................. 13 Trading Post........................................... 15 Variety Store.............................................4 STORAGE Ralph’s Storage..................................... 13 TIRES/BRAKES Highway Tire......................................... 13 Les Schwab............................................ 55 TOUR BOATS Lady of the Lake................................... 48 TOWING Highway Tire......................................... 13 Tim’s 4-Corners Union 76.................. 13 WATERSLIDES Slide Waters........................................... 47

Check Us Out Online www.grandcoulee.com

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Visitors’ Guide • Grand Coulee Dam Area • 2010-1011

A touring party views the spillway from the top of Grand Coulee Dam in August, 1947. Note that the Third Powerhouse has not yet been built at the other end of the dam. That addition, with its huge generators, made such large spills of water mostly unnecessary, since the water could be run through its turbines to produce power.

—U.S. Bureau of Reclamation photo

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Visitors’ Guide • Grand Coulee Dam Area • 2010-2011

Service That’s

Dependable Tires for All Seasons and All Reasons!

• Brakes • Full Lube Service • Batteries • Alignment • Shocks A skateboarder uses the skate park in Grand Coulee, just south of the intersection of highways 155 and 174.

Corner of Federal & Spokane Way Grand Coulee

(509) 633-3090

Coulee Medical Center 411 Fortuyn Rd., Grand Coulee

(509) 633-1753 • Acute Care Hospital

CLINICS Grand Coulee (509) 633-1911

• Walk-In Patients are welcome • 24/7 Emergency Room • 24/7 air/ground transport

Vision to Reality 2010

Coulee City (509) 632-5701

Enjoy your visit to the Grand Coulee Dam Area

If you need medical assistance, we're here to help.

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Visitors’ Guide • Grand Coulee dam area • 2010-1011

www.couleehouse.com 56

Visitors’ Guide • Grand Coulee Dam Area • 2010-2011

Interested in Advertising In Our 2011-2012 Visitor Guide?

Call 1-888-633-1350 or e-mail star@grandcoulee.com

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