The Ancient Lake Trail goes up to the head of a large coulee that drains down to the Columbia River.  Basalt cliffs ring the chain of pothole lakes.   Steams and irrigation run-off from fields above fill and replenish the lakes in this dry, grasslands basin.   The trail starts on the northwest side of the coulee and follows a fairly level single track to the rockbound lakes.

At 3 km, we arrive at the first lake.   The trail winds around through some riparian habitat to other pothole lakes and ridges.

Its hard to remember the Quincy Wildlife Recreation Area is just a short distance from an active farming area.   The sagebrush grasslands surrounding the pothole lakes are surrounded by rugged basalt cliffs, keeping hikers below the agricultural area above.

This is a fine scenic trail for a moderate hike of about 6 km.   We faced some rain showers along the trail, but even with wet conditions, we found the hike to be a delightful.

We hope to return to hike to nearby Dusty Lake and up some of the higher ridges above the basin.