4th Columbia Basin

Out in Grant County, Washington you can surely catch some summer rays and activities. Spending the 4th of July weekend camping and venturing around the Grand Coulee Damn is an excellent choice to escape the rain of Western Washington. There is plenty of hiking, biking, swimming and boating near by.

Banks Lake hosts multiple State Parks and camping facilities. Osborn Bay is one of the campgrounds, with only a vault toilet and a boat ramp. The flat golf course adjacent to the site flattens the horizon for a great Eastern Washington sunset.



Seven miles south on Highway 155 lies Steamboat Rock State Park, a giant plateau jutting up above Banks Lake. It's about a 2.5 mile climb to the top and you can walk all along the perimeter. The views are incredible.



On the 4th you can gaze at the firework show from a grass knoll below the Grand Coulee Damn. They also feature a lazer show every night during the summer and project it across the water.



The 2010 headliner was an Elvis impersonator. Such an event brings out the true American in all of us.



On the way home from your event-filled weekend in the sun, you can stop at Lenore Lake Caves and relish in the exquisite views.



But watch out for those Park Rangers, they might just tell you to "GO TO BED!"