Featured In: Best Desert Hikes: Washington, by Dan Nelson and Alan Bauer.
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Marmes Pond is a man-made pool on the edge of the Palouse River. The "pond" was actually meant to be a dry hole, but things didn't work out as planned. The pond was formed when an archeologist from Washington State University found an old rock shelter and human bones at a dig site along the shores of the lower Palouse River--the bones, dubbed the "Marmes Man," were dated to more than 10,000 years old--much older than any other remains found in the region.

Before a full dig could be organized and carried out, the Corps of Engineers completed work on Little Goose Dam on the Snake River, just downstream on the mouth of the Palouse. As the impoundment waters backed up behind the dam, they pushed their way up the Palouse. In a last-ditch effort to buy some time to protect the Marmes dig site, engineers tossed up an earthen dike around the dig, but water oozed through, flooding the dig site and creating a pond over what could have been one of the most promising archeological finds in Washington.

The trailhead is located near where the gravel road enters the parking lot. The paved path climbs a bit more than 0.75 mile to a covered overlook area at the crest of the ridge above the mouth of the Palouse. The views up the Palouse River Canyon from here are outstanding, and you can also peer down the Snake River toward the mouth of the Tucannon River. Waterfowl fill the air and waterways here in the winter months (December through March, typically). Birds of prey--especially red-tailed hawks and kestrels--fill the air year-round as they feed on small rodents and snakes.From the overlook, hikers can ramble cross-country around the ridge top (beware of poison oak, which is common in the area) or follow a faint path up into the Palouse Canyon. The path descends from the ridge and angles down to the shoreline of the Palouse River. At times, the trail is steep and narrow. Be careful, especially along the edge of the river, as the banks can slide and fall away unexpectedly.

About 2 miles from your vehicle, you'll find yourself at Marmes Pond and the dig site. Nothing is left of the dig, but if you have a fishing rod, drop a line in the pond--the folks from the Lyons Ferry Fish Hatchery stock the pond periodically, and anglers can often pull big rainbow trout from the green waters of the pond.

The trail from the ridge to the pond provides outstanding views of the lower Palouse River canyon and introduces you to many of the local inhabitants of the region. Most visitors here meet at least a few of the locals, including swallows, mule deer, coyotes, ground squirrels, raptors (including golden eagles, rough-legged hawks, northern harriers, Swainson's hawks, kestrels, ravens, and red-tailed hawks), bull snakes, rattlesnakes, lizards, scorpions, and porcupines.