Lake Lenore Caves

At the end of the last Ice Age, a lobe of glacial ice dammed a river in what is now western Montana and backed up an enormous lake, Glacial Lake Missoula. Again and again the ice dam failed and released the entire lake at once, sending walls of water racing across eastern Washington in the events geologists call the Missoula floods.

One of those flood paths was the Grand Coulee. The churning water plucked fastest at the columns of basalt, prying them loose and eroding pockets into the cliff walls. The Lake Lenore Caves were scoured from those basalt colonnades, which is why they line up along the rock in a row rather than sitting deep in the ground. It is a landscape written entirely by moving water, and it is now part of the congressionally designated Ice Age Floods National Geologic Trail.

When the floods finally stopped and the coulee dried, the caves became useful. Talus slopes built up below them and made easy paths up to the openings, and Plateau peoples used the shelters for overnight camps and storage for at least five thousand years. Hunters and gatherers from villages along the Columbia and its tributaries came through this desert corridor, and the caves gave them a dry place out of the wind.

This is living heritage, not just an archaeological curiosity. The caves are still used today for certain Native American religious ceremonies, so visit with the same respect you would bring to any place of ongoing cultural importance, and leave everything as you found it.

The caves are one stop in a much larger flood landscape. Just up the coulee is Dry Falls, the scarred headwall of what was once a waterfall far larger than any on earth today, and the string of alkali lakes below, Lake Lenore, Soap Lake, and the others, fills the coulee floor where the floods left basins. The whole drive is a lesson in what happens when a continent-sized flood passes through.

The desert here is high and dry, sagebrush and bunchgrass over black rock, and the light at either end of the day turns the basalt walls gold and violet. It feels remote and a little severe, which is much of its appeal.

The coulee is a raptor corridor. Watch the cliffs and the sky for hawks, falcons, and golden eagles riding the updrafts, and listen for the pikas and marmots among the talus. Yellow-bellied marmots sun themselves on the rocks, and in the alkali lakes below the water is too mineral for most fish but rich in the tiny life that draws migrating birds.

Spring is the sweet spot, when the desert briefly greens and wildflowers dot the slopes before the summer heat sets in. Summer days can be scorching and shadeless, so early morning is best. Fall brings cool, clear air and long light, and winter turns the coulee stark and often snow-dusted, beautiful but cold and windy.

The closest Boutel™ stays, so you can turn this stop into an overnight. Each is a place we chose through independent editorial review, never a paid placement.

The Lake Lenore Caves, near Soap Lake in eastern Washington, are a series of shallow caves and rock alcoves carved into the basalt cliffs of the Grand Coulee by the cataclysmic Ice Age floods thousands of years ago. As the enormous floodwaters raced through the coulee, they plucked and eroded the rock, leaving these cave-like hollows in the canyon walls. Reached by a short but somewhat steep trail from the roadside, the caves were used for shelter by ancient Native peoples. Offering a fascinating glimpse of the region's dramatic geologic history and scenic coulee views, the Lake Lenore Caves make an intriguing and unusual stop in eastern Washington.

The Lake Lenore Caves are reached by a trail from a parking area along the highway in the Grand Coulee near Lake Lenore, a relatively short hike that climbs somewhat steeply up the basalt cliffs to reach the various cave alcoves, with the trail branching to the different hollows. The hike is moderate, with rocky, uneven footing, so sturdy shoes are recommended. Exploring the caves and taking in the coulee views is the reward. Because the trail involves some climbing and rocky terrain, wearing good shoes and watching your footing helps you safely explore the Lake Lenore Caves.

You can explore the shallow cave alcoves carved into the basalt cliffs by the Ice Age floods, imagine how ancient Native peoples used them for shelter, take in scenic views of the Grand Coulee and Lake Lenore below, and appreciate the dramatic geologic story of the floods that shaped the landscape. Interpretive information explains the history. The caves and the surrounding scablands scenery are fascinating. It is a short, intriguing stop combining geology, history, and views. With its flood-carved caves, ancient history, and coulee scenery, the Lake Lenore Caves offer an unusual and memorable outdoor experience in eastern Washington.

Spring and fall offer the most comfortable temperatures for the hike to the caves, with spring bringing wildflowers to the coulee and fall offering pleasant weather, while summer can be hot in the exposed eastern Washington landscape, so early morning visits with water are best then, and winter is cold with possible ice on the trail. Watch for rattlesnakes in warm weather. For the best combination of comfortable weather and safe trail conditions, aim for spring or fall, or a cool summer morning, when visiting the Lake Lenore Caves.

The Lake Lenore Caves are in the Grand Coulee near Soap Lake in eastern Washington, near Lake Lenore, the dramatic Dry Falls and Sun Lakes-Dry Falls State Park to the north, Banks Lake, and the Grand Coulee Dam. That makes the Lake Lenore Caves a fascinating stop to combine with Dry Falls, the Grand Coulee Dam, and the other Ice Age floods attractions of the Channeled Scablands of eastern Washington on a visit to the state.