Naturalist Trip - Columbia National Wildlife Refuge

Bring camping gear, food, hiking gear, photography gear, and what else you need to a multi day trip. 

A Discovery Pass is required

Tuesday – 29 April

Leave Seattle early

Stop at Railroad Ponds in Cle Elem

Drive down Old Vantage Highway with stops at wind facility and other potential sites,

Run into Ginkgo Petrified Forest Park, check trees and scan river; Talk geology

Drive to Potholes State Park to find campsites.

Could do more birding on way, depending on time.

After finding campsites. –

                        Check out Winchester Wasterwater dunes

•             Hike 42 – Potholes Dunes – pages 190-196 in Hiking Washington’s Geology by Scott Babcock & Bob Carson

                        Bird other sites around Potholes Reservoir.

Wednesday – 30 April

1. Bythe-Goose Lakes Trail – Flood Feature No. 25. 2 to 4.6 miles depending on the route (whether backtrack 4.6, or cross country, 3.2).  See Page 170-172 of On the Trail of Ice Age Floods by Bruce Bjornstad.
   1. https://www.wta.org/go-hiking/hikes/blythe-lake part of the hike.
   2. Bjornstad had going on toward Goose Lake). This is a different from what was described on the Washinton Trails Association website.

Thursday 1 May

169. Frog Lake Trailhead in On the Trail of Ice Age Floods – pages 168-169.
     1. Frog Lake and Marsh Lake Trailhead, could also park at the Crab Creek Trailhead.
     2. (Frog Lake and Marsh Lake Trailhead)

• Combination of a hike to Frog Lake area and then up to overlook on the plateau. Loop on the plateau.

1. More research but looks like 5 to 7 miles depending on if all three trails are covered.
2. See hikes 94 & 95 in Day Hiking Eastern Washington, Landers and Romano, 5.6 miles combine, make longer by doing the Marsh Trail, too.

Friday. 2 May

Pack up camp

            Head south, going down Lower Crab Creek, stopping for plants, birds, and geology

            Check on hikes along this, Geology is interesting, not sure if there is a road up into Saddle Mountain. I’ve not studied the stuff on the Ice Age Flood Institute pages. A lookout on Saddle Mountain my be interesting. We came at Saddle Mountain from the other side a few years back.

Tuesday, 29 April 

We will plan on leaving Seattle by 7:30 AM and set a meeting place and time, possibly at Snoquamie Pass. From there we can caravan to our first place.  On the drive to Potholes State Park, we plan on stopping at Railroad Ponds, Old Vantage Highway, and Ginkgo State Park. We may do some other stops along the way.

We plan on camping at Potholes State Park. I am trying to determine whether we can reserve campsites ahead of time. 

See below for a possible Itinerary.