Overview
Soap Lake is a town of 1,600 people (2018) in Columbia River Plateau of Washington State. The lake's naturally occurring foam gives its water a soapy appearance, and the lake's mineral-rich waters have a slick, soapy feel.
Updated from Wikivoyage on 1 October 2026 · Something wrong or missing? Improve it on Wikivoyage
Plan your trip
Best time to visit & weather
Most comfortable: May–Sep. Summer highs reach about 87°F; winter lows dip to about 19°F. Cold months (Jan, Dec) can bring snow and ice; check road conditions. Wettest: Dec and Jan. (climate data from nearby Leavenworth)
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 — 34 mi away. Directions
- YKM Yakima Air Terminal McAllister Field, Yakima — 75 mi away. Directions
- GEG Spokane International Airport, Spokane — 93 mi away (major hub). Directions
Soap Lake is at the intersection of State Route 17 (WA-17) and State Route 28 (WA-28).
Full “Get in” guide ↓Budget & where to stay
No prices are listed for this place yet. See the Sleep guide ↓ for options.
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
Understand
Soap Lake is a meromictic soda lake formed by the Missoula Floods at the foot of the Grand Coulee. The name came from the word Smokiam, an Indian term which translates to “Healing Waters.” The tribes used the lake for healing purposes for themselves and their animals for many years before the area was settled by pioneers.
By 1908, Soap Lake was a busy resort and health spa, with four hotels and many rooming houses and businesses catering to sojourners seeking a cure. The residents were very proud of the two-room schoolhouse built in 1907. Even though Soap Lake’s main industry was derived from the medicinal lake, it became a social center. In its heyday celebrations, socials, and gatherings where held continuously. Especially well known were the open-air dances, which would draw participants from miles around.
Get in
Soap Lake is at the intersection of State Route 17 (WA-17) and State Route 28 (WA-28).
By bus
Go Grant Transit Authority
Operates bus routes in and connecting Ephrata, George, Quincy, Moses Lake, Soap Lake, and Warden
Nearby
Ephrata
City / town · 5 listings · 6 mi away
Sun Lakes-Dry Falls State Park
Park · 6 listings · 16 mi away
Coulee City
City / town · 5 listings · 18 mi away
Moses Lake
City / town · 12 listings · 21 mi away
Waterville
City / town · 4 listings · 33 mi away
Frenchman Coulee
Park · 3 listings · 34 mi away
East Wenatchee
City / town · 5 listings · 38 mi away
Wenatchee
City / town · 27 listings · 39 mi away
My experience
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