For this hike, I went to Dusty Lake and Ancient Lake near Quincy, WA with my cousin, Paullena. It was about a 2 1/2 hour drive from where we live. It was a nice drive, though a little smelly as we drove through Moses Lake, WA. Quincy, WA is a beautiful little farm town. We drove between many orchards with the farmers busily working in their fields.
To get to this trailhead (from eastern Washington), drive west on I-90 for about an hour. Take exit 151 toward WA-281 N/Quincy/Wenatchee then turn right onto WA-281 N and follow the road for 2.9 miles. Turn left onto Rd 5 NW/White Trail Rd and follow the road for 7.8 miles, then turn left onto Rd 9 NW. Follow this road for 5.8 miles until you come to the trailhead parking lot.
Upon entering the trail we were immediately surprised with a beautiful view. It was a desert-like area with fascinating bushes and beautiful basalt cliffs. I had never hiked anywhere like this before! It was a clear hot day with bright blue skies and puffy white clouds. It reminded me of a painting with how imperfect the clouds were.
We had been hiking about 3 1/2 miles we hiked up a small hill when we were given the beautiful view of Dusty Lake. It was tucked into the far end of the valley (which I learned is also called a “coulee”) and it would be easy to miss if you didn’t know to look for it. With there not being much elevation gain on this trail, you are not able to see the lake until you are actually at it’s edge.
We wanted to enjoy this beautiful lake for a bit longer and decided to stop for lunch. I decided on tortilla soup (recipe is on the Trail Recipes page) while Paullena decided on teriyaki chicken and rice. We were greeted by a small lizard and a few ducks who were splashing around near the edge of the water, most like looking for lunch themselves. The lizard ran for the bush as it saw my shadow then stopped long enough for me to take a picture. I also found a cute little snake on the way to Dusty Lake that was soaking in a moment of warmth on the trail and not bothered by our presence, as well a large beetle that, at first, looked like a large spider. I believe the snake is a Western Racer.
We sat for about 45 minutes before deciding to continue our hike. It was rather difficult to pack up as it was a quiet, peaceful area that one could sit in all day, soaking in every sound, sight, and smell. The birds chirped as if they were laughing and while we did not see any waterfalls, we could hear the water flowing nearby. There were two large rocks poking through the water’s surface that reminded me of a partially sunken ship.
We hiked another 2 to 2 1/2 miles out of that area of the valley and into the next, this one having a bit more of an elevation gain. We hiked through tall bushes and large rocks, some having circular shapes while others were very square.
While we were unknowingly getting close to Ancient Lake, we were still unable to see it even though it was just on the other side of the rocks. Ancient Lake is made up of three very small lakes with a ring of bright green trees around the smaller lake, and one larger lake about the size of Dusty Lake. This area is a bit more popular, as we noticed a few small tents; a bright blue tent on the ridge above the lake, and orange tent along one of the small lakes, and a grey tent on a hill above the lake.
We decided to stop for a snack; I went for s’more trail mix while Paullena went for a cherry Pop-Tart. A sweet treat is exactly what we needed although the chocolate chips in my trail mix were partially melted (but still enjoyable). We sat for about 15 minutes, watching the waterfall and watching someone climb around the top of it with their canine friend.
After our snack break we decided to start heading back towards the trailhead, as it was getting late in the day and we wanted to get home in time to tuck our children into bed.
We came across two more waterfalls in the side of the cliff which spiked my curiosity. I wondered where the water went when there isn’t a body of water at the bottom of it; maybe there was a small cave or pool, or maybe it just soaked into the ground. I started climbing up the rocks and about halfway up, realized it was an extremely unsafe climb with the height and looks rocks, so I turned myself back. A part of me really wanted to climb all the way up to the bottom of the waterfall but a part of me didn’t want to take the risk.
As we continued down the trail we noticed quite a few flowers in the area. Some were a bright yellow or purple while others were a pale red. They smelled fantastic! It reminded us of the poppy field from The Wizard of Oz with how many flowers would be in just one area.
I also came across this rock that, to me, looked like a toad. You might not see it but it’s a cool rock either way.
The view on the way out of the valley was breathtaking. It was basalt rocks on either side of us with a field of thick bushes and mountains straight ahead. It was our last view of the trail before getting to the trailhead and definitely one to remember.
While it was a very hot day, it would be an enjoyable location for camping. Paullena and I talked about how we would very much like to go back there this summer to camp, and which area we would stay in.
I would highly recommend this trail. It is just shy of 9 miles with a minimal elevation gain of about 570 feet.
Outdoor Trail Adventures 