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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

A Trip Through Time

Wanda Pendell Gould Cheney

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A nice spring jaunt is to Blue Lake, located in the chain of Sun Lakes in the Columbia Basin.

Go across the lake in a small boat to Jasper Bay and climb up the loose lava rock on the opposite shore from the highway and dock (the trail was marked with colored paint when we visited). There you’ll find Blue Lake Rhino Cave - so named because it contains a fossil of what appears to be a small rhino lying on its back.

Visitors can look through the hole in the lava where the animal’s leg had been located when it was trapped in lava, thousands of years ago.

It is a beautiful setting, an unusual sight, and provides an exhilarating early season climb, not too much for the first time out, and is suitable for the older folks or the young kids. More information can be had at the Sun Lakes Park information centers in Soap Lake and Coulee City.

Other interesting caves exist above Soap Lake and the other lakes in this string. Wild birds, wild flowers, lots of fresh air and beautiful views are there for the taking.

One can go southwest from Spokane on I-90, turning off at Moses Lake and going north on Highway 17. Or travel via U.S. 2 through Reardan, Davenport, and to Coulee City, opening your eyes to some of the most productive and beautiful wheat country, known as the Big Bend. Take a picnic lunch or enjoy restaurants in these towns.

Have a wonderful outing.

MEMO: The Rhino Cave can be reached on foot or by boat from Sun Village Resort (which offers rowboat rentals), located eight miles south of Coulee City on Highway 17. Call (509) 632-5664. Sun Lakes State Park is located on Highway 17, seven miles south of Coulee City. Call (509) 632-5583.

The Rhino Cave can be reached on foot or by boat from Sun Village Resort (which offers rowboat rentals), located eight miles south of Coulee City on Highway 17. Call (509) 632-5664. Sun Lakes State Park is located on Highway 17, seven miles south of Coulee City. Call (509) 632-5583.