Sun Lakes State Park in the Coulee Corridor

Fancy some traditional recreation after your geology lesson? As you leave Dry Falls Interpretive Center going south on Highway 17, you will descend down into the coulee. On the right in the layers of basalt, you can see a fault line where tectonic plate movement is apparent. On the left you will see a golf course, campground and park at the north end of Park Lake. There is also miniature golf (a really nice new installation terraced on the hillside), paddle boat rentals, snack bar, gift shop, swimming, docks, fishing, cabins, and all kinds of fun stuff. The Ping family has been operating this park concession for a number of years, and has made many improvements.

Blue Lake Rhino in the Coulee Corridor

As you continue south on Highway 17 from Sun Lakes State Park, through the majestic Lower Grand Coulee, you will come to a small, unassuming, resort called Laurent's Sun Village Resort. You can rent rowboats at this resort and the most remarkable thing is that just across the lake there is a small cave that was actually formed by the body of a prehistoric rhinoceros that was caught up in a lava flood when all this basalt rock was laid down during late Miocene and early Pliocene times (between 17 and 6 million years ago). Be sure to bring a flashlight and be ready to crawl into the tight cave.

If spelunking in small caves isn't your cup of tea, I suggest renting the rowboat, check out the cave from the outside and then take the kids over to Seattle to the Burke Museum where they have made a full size mock up of the cave from plaster casts and have a nice educational display about it. Laurent's also has a miniature golf course, park, camping, cabins, and fishing opportunities. To learn more about the lava floods check out the USGS website.