Tag Archives: Hospitality/Recreation

Here’s your visitor guide

A boat on Banks Lake is tiny against the massive wall of the Upper Grand Coulee.

Here’s our 2023-24 Visitors’ Guide, the print version in online form. Use this to keep it “in your pocket” for quick reference

OR

Pick up the actual print version just about anywhere in town, at the Visitor Center at Grand Coulee Dam or at several visitor centers around the state.

Fall into fun at the Harvest Festival Sept. 12-14

Harvest Fest Hay Ride
Hay wagon rides are a big hit at the Harvest Festival

Here’s a quick bit on the upcoming Harvest Festival you can send on to your friends and relatives.

The Third Annual Harvest Festival, Sept. 12-14, at North Dam Park, is a fun festival for the entire family and a good way to polish off what has been a great summer.

And it’s free!

Always wanted to take a helicopter ride? You can do it at this year’s Harvest Festival, at a nominal price. Soar through the sky and look down on the things you’ve seen all year long, except from a different vantage point. Rides are available from 11 a.m. to dusk on Saturday and from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday.

Get on a hay wagon and relive those early days when the horse drawn wagon was a common mode of transportation. You can Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at North Dam Park.

Can you bake a berry pie? There’s competition in the berry and apple pie-baking event. Judging will begin at 1 p.m. Saturday in the picnic area with winners announced at 2 p.m. Bring two pies, one for judging and the second for a pie raffle.

One of the featured events is the barbecue competition. This is serious stuff for barbecue enthusiasts and some of the best in the Pacific Northwest are head our way.

Luckily for them, we also have an excellent beer garden planned, featuring brews from one of our favorite Washington state microbreweries, Iron Horse Brewery. Among the brews featured: High Five Heffe, 509 Style, and, of course, Irish Death. (That last one is so smooth and not bitter, for a dark beer, that you’re tempted not to take it seriously, a mistake at least one ex-sailor I know won’t repeat.) For those of you not into such craft beers, and there are a lot of you, the beer garden will also be stocked with Bud Light.

That’s Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Judging and the awards ceremony begin at 4:30 p.m. Sunday. Samples will be available for purchase. The BBQ event is in conjunction with the Pacific Northwest Barbecue Association. Ribbons and trophies will be given and there are some $3,500 worth of cash prizes. The chamber of commerce, organizer of the festival, has info and a signup sheet here.

 

Spring Canyon offers activities

canoe-tourIMG_4955

 

Spring Canyon campground is beautiful campground near Grand Coulee in the Lake Roosevelt National Recreation Area.

Several activities are planned by park staff in the near future. Here’s the schedule:

 

What: Spring Canyon Ranger-Conducted Activities

Hands-on activities, Junior Ranger Activities, brochures and park information!

Where: Spring Canyon Exploration Center

Open 1:30-3:30 Saturday and Sunday

All Activities meet in the Spring Canyon Exploration Center unless otherwise noted.

 

Saturday July 12, 2014

Sunday   July 13, 2014

Sunday   July 20, 2014

4:30 PMGuided Bird Walk. 

Join Ranger Deborah on a walk through the campground area and Bunchgrass Nature Trail of Spring Canyon to discover and experience the area’s birds. We will be walking about a mile while observing the birds. We will also be talking about why birds are so important. Please meet at the Bunchgrass Nature Trailhead. 45-60 minutes.

  • Please bring a bottle of water and apply sunscreen.
  • This is a very active bee and wasp area. Please no bare feet and have epinephrine if highly allergic.

 

Saturday July 19, 2014

6:00 PM Crescent Bay Canoe Trip

Join Ranger Deborah for a free canoe trip exploring the wonders of Crescent Bay Lake. We

supply the canoes, paddles, life jackets and instruction. Beginners are welcome but an adult must

accompany children under 16.

  • The trip is limited to 17-19 people, so reservations are strongly encouraged. Please make your reservations in person at the Spring Canyon Exploration Center on Saturday July 19, 2014 between 1:30-3:30.
  • You must have your own transportation for the 10 minute drive to Crescent Bay Lake.
  • Bring water.
  • Approximately 2 ½ hours, including drive time. 

Take a look at our new print Visitors Guide

This site augments and updates our once-a-year Grand Coulee Dam Visitors’ Guide, which you can see on your computer or smartphone on this site.
It’s always online here. And you can always find it in the column at left under “Flip through the print Visitors’ Guide.

Visitors' Guide Cover 14