Overview
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.
4 sights · 3 things to do · 1 places to stay
Updated from Wikivoyage on 1 October 2026 · Something wrong or missing? Improve it on Wikivoyage
Best things about Grand Coulee
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 Ar…
Steamboat Rock State Park
The park takes its name from the landscape's dominating feature, Steamboat Rock, a basalt butte that rises 800 ft above the lake. The butte's plateau was used by nomadic Native American tribes and by early settlers. Duri…
Northrup Canyon
A homestead just north of Steamboat Rock.
Colville Tribal Museum
Chronicles the cultural history of the twelve tribes of the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Indian Reservation.
Grand Coulee Dam Visitor Center
Laser Light Show
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 …
Plan your trip
Best time to visit & weather
Most comfortable: May–Sep. Summer highs reach about 87°F; winter lows dip to about 26°F. Cold months (Jan, Dec) can bring snow and ice; check road conditions. Wettest: Dec and Jan. (climate data from nearby Spokane)
Blue bars: average daily high and low (°F). Purple columns: average monthly rain and melted snow (inches).
Getting there
- From you: to see whether to drive or fly, and how long it takes.
- EAT Pangborn Memorial Airport, Wenatchee — 67 mi away. Directions
- GEG Spokane International Airport, Spokane — 72 mi away (major hub). Directions
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.
Full “Get in” guide ↓Budget & where to stay
No prices are listed for this place yet. See the Sleep guide ↓ for options.
Sample 2-day itinerary
Day 1
- Morning Colville Tribal Museum, Grand Coulee Dam, Grand Coulee Dam Visitor Center
- Afternoon Crown Point Vista, Laser Light Show
Day 2
- Morning Steamboat Rock State Park
- Afternoon Northrup Canyon
Stops are grouped by area so each day needs little backtracking. Check opening hours before you go.
Food for you
What to ask about, for your diet
Diet labels come from each listing's description and cuisine; “likely” means the cuisine usually has good choices, not a promise. Check with the restaurant. Open the food finder
Photos
Map
Every listing with a location. Tap a pin for its Google Maps link.
Understand
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.
Get in
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.
By car
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 from Seattle.
From Spokane: take US-2 west to WA-174 west (but runs northwest). It is about 88 mi from Spokane
See
Grand Coulee Dam
- Guided tours of the largest dam in North America are available during the summer. There are also unguided historical walking trails in the vicinity.
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.
Do
Do Steamboat Rock State Park
The park takes its name from the landscape's dominating feature, Steamboat Rock, a basalt butte that rises 800 ft 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.
- 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.
Lake Roosevelt
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.
Sleep
Campgrounds
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.
Go next
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:
Nearby
Coulee City
City / town · 5 listings · 26 mi away
Sun Lakes-Dry Falls State Park
Park · 6 listings · 29 mi away
Bridgeport
City / town · 3 listings · 31 mi away
Brewster
City / town · 2 listings · 38 mi away
Okanogan
City / town · 3 listings · 40 mi away
Omak
City / town · 15 listings · 41 mi away
Pateros
City / town · 7 listings · 42 mi away
Davenport
City / town · 6 listings · 44 mi away
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