Grand Coulee Voyage Tips and guide

Grand Coulee is a city in the Columbia River Plateau of Washington State. It is on the shore of Lake Roosevelt just above the Grand Coulee Dam, the largest hydroelectric power producer in the United States.

This guide includes the neighboring communities of Electric City and Coulee Dam.

The Grand Coulee is an ancient river bed on the Columbia Plateau created by retreating glaciers and floods. It was revealed in the mid-late 20th century that massive floods from Lake Missoula carved most of the gorge.

Where the coulee meets the Columbia River, a massive dam was constructed between 1933 and 1942. Further improvements in 1974 made Grand Coulee Dam the largest power station in the United States.

The small segment of the Columbia River at Grand Coulee flows north. This is the opposite of the river's normal flow from Canada to the Pacific Ocean.

Grand Coulee is at the intersection of State Route 174 (WA-174) and State Route 155 (WA-155). It is not close to any major highways.

From the Seattle area: take US Highway 2 (US-2) east (from Everett or Monroe) to Coulee City, then take WA-155 north. It is about 230 mi (370 km) from Seattle.

From Spokane: take US-2 west to WA-174 west (but runs northwest). It is about 88 mi (142 km) from Spokane

Map of Grand Coulee

• 47.96644-118.974561 Colville Tribal Museum, 512 Mead Way, Coulee Dam, ☏ +1 509-633-0751, [email protected]. Chronicles the cultural history of the twelve tribes of the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Indian Reservation. (updated Sep 2025)

• 47.9558-118.9822 Grand Coulee Dam. This massive dam built in 1941 extends for nearly a mile across the mighty Columbia River, the dam is the largest hydroelectric producer in the country. It creates a 130-mile-long Lake Roosevelt, a National Recreation Area.  

• 47.96043-118.98673 Grand Coulee Dam Visitor Center, WA-155, Coulee Dam, ☏ +1 509-633-9265, [email protected]. 8:30AM-5PM. (updated Sep 2025)

• Guided tours of the largest dam in North America are available during the summer. There are also unguided historical walking trails in the vicinity.
• Laser Light Show. May-Sep. As colorful lasers reflect off the dam’s spillway, music and narration tell the story of Grand Coulee Dam in a unique and entertaining way. Viewable from several locations around the dam, the Laser Light Show plays once a night. Free. (updated Sep 2025)

Photography can be a challenge due to the massive size of the dam, and the inability to get far enough away before passing the relatively short horizon. If possible, bring a wide-angle lens, and avoid the hours of the day when the sun is just barely above the dam face. Unfortunately, most of the time you'll be looking south and directly into the sun while viewing the dam.

• 47.8631-119.1331 Steamboat Rock State Park, 51052 Hwy 155, Electric City (On the north shore of Banks Lake), ☏ +1 509-633-1304, [email protected]. 6:30AM-dusk. The park takes its name from the landscape's dominating feature, Steamboat Rock, a basalt butte that rises 800 ft (240 m) above the lake. The butte's plateau was used by nomadic Native American tribes and by early settlers. During the last ice age, the monolith stood as an island in the new bed of the Columbia River where it had been diverted by ice dams. Once the dams burst creating massive floods and the Scablands, the Columbia returned to its original course, leaving Steamboat Rock as a prominent feature of the dry Grand Coulee. Discover Pass required ($10/day, $30/year). (updated Sep 2025)
  • 47.97152-118.986812 Crown Point Vista (From WA-155, take the turnoff to Bridgeport (WA-174), drive 2 mi (3.2 km) north, look for the sign). The best spot for viewing the Grand Coulee Dam.  
  • 47.873611-119.0608333 Northrup Canyon. A homestead just north of Steamboat Rock.  
• Each of the tribes bordering the lake operate Vegas style casinos with a variety of games. 
• There are several golf courses within an hour of the lake: Big Bend, Banks Lake, Colville and Wilbur.

While the roots of its scenic beauty date back to the ice age floods, the formation and management of the lake is distinctly modern. With the closing of Grand Coulee Dam’s gates in 1942, the resulting reservoir (called Franklin D. Roosevelt or Lake Roosevelt for short) extends north over 150 miles and provides over 630 miles of shoreline.

The shoreline within the Lake Roosevelt National Recreation Area is managed by the National Park Service. The shorelines within the Colville and Spokane reservations are managed by the respective tribes.

• Backpacking and Day Hiking. Immediately around the Lake Roosevelt, Fort Spokane, Spring Canyon and Kettle Falls have the most accessible and well documented trails. In the general vicinity, however, are also state parks and national forests with both easy and difficult trails that provide breathtaking views of the area’s geology and terrain.
• Beach Walking. Via boat or by foot, there are hundreds of secluded beaches, coves, and inlets to explore. Particularly when lake levels fall, however, tribal artifacts from the period before the dam was built can become exposed. It is everyone’s responsibility to protect these cultural treasures. As a result, it is strictly forbidden to disturb or remove artifacts from these sites.
• Boating. Water-skiing, canoeing, sailing and fishing are just some of the on-water activities the lake offers. Access to the lake is made easy by 23 boat ramps and 4 full service marinas. Because lake levels fluctuate daily, always compare the lake level and boat launch elevations before starting out. In summer months, the lake level is generally high enough to meet the needs of all boat launch requirements. For boat rental information, contact a marina.
• Houseboats. House boat rentals are a popular way for friends and family to enjoy the lake’s natural beauty without sacrificing modern luxury. 
• Wildlife watching. While hiking, boating or just relaxing, wild animals may be seen. Among those with four legs, black bear, elk, bobcats and deer (which are commonly seen along the shoreline) roam the area. When looking skyward, osprey, golden and bald eagles, hawks and smaller birds are year round residents. Seasonally, migrating Canada geese, ducks and swans visit.
• Ranger Guided Programs. During the summer, the NPS offers several programs at their campgrounds. These include the living history program at Fort Spokane (a demonstration of black powder weapons and military drills from the 19th century), guided and non-guided nature walks, guided canoe trips and exhibits.
• Star Gazing. The wide open and unpopulated nature of the region make it ideal for star gazing. Northern Lights can be particularly well seen from the Kettle Falls area. Rangers provide a great summer program and demonstrations allowing star gazer's a unique opportunity to view the night skies.

• 47.94019-119.004631 Trailwest Motel, 108 Spokane Way, ☏ +1 509-633-3155, toll-free: +1-866-633-8157. (updated Oct 2016)

Around Lake Roosevelt, there are 17 National Park Service (NPS) campgrounds reachable by car, and 10 by boat. Additionally, the Spokane Indian Tribe maintains 11 campgrounds, and the Colville Confederated Tribes maintain 7 campgrounds. With the exception of group camping at Park Service sites, most campgrounds operate on a “first-come-first-served” basis.

Shoreline camping one quarter of a mile from developed NPS campgrounds is permitted along the lake.

Explore the Grand Coulee and Banks Lake:

• Coulee City, near Summer Falls State Park and the Lake Lenore Caves.
• Sun Lakes-Dry Falls State Park, 7 miles SW of Coulee City. During the last ice age, Dry Falls occasionally carried more water by volume than all the rivers of the world combined (known as the Missoula Flood). Offers camping and lakefront shoreline.

The other towns up Lake Roosevelt:

• Colville
• Kettle Falls

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