Eastern Washington

Odessa-Pacific Lake Trail

Length: 10.6 **mileage is round trip miles
Low Point: 1400'
High Point: 1800'
Season: All Year
Scenery: 0/5

Difficulty: 0/5

Submitted by: David Luders

Directions

Loop trail starts at the BLM's "Lakeview" (Pacific Lake) campsite north of Odessa, WA. Drive north along State Route 21, and follow the signs to Pacific Lake. Hike uphill along Lakeview Ranch Road, and head west.

Trail Description

This is a good wintertime hike through sagebrush country. This loop trail goes around the "Channeled Scablands" part of Eastern Washington, where Ice-Age floods carved deep canyons through the basalt.

I hiked this trail with my Boy Scout troop. Heading southwards, the first part of the trail is easy. When the official "Odessa Creek Lake Trail" heads down close to the "Bob's Lake" area, you can hike across the dry lakebed and intercept a dirt road heading northeastward back out of the canyon.

We saw old fishheads and bones in the mud of "Bob's Lake," and very interesting rock formations.

You could hike all the way to Odessa, WA instead, but we decided to loop back to our campsite at Pacific Lake. There are interesting basalt "craters" near Pacific Lake to peer into.

See the Bureau of Land Management's brochure at http://ublib.buffalo.edu/libraries/e-resources/ebooks/images/eew1641.pdf .