Ancient Lakes — Saturday, Feb. 14, 2015

Central Washington > Potholes Region

This was our first time on the Ancient Lakes trail. The trailhead was full this day and the trail quite busy with walkers, day hikers, mountain bikers, families, dogs, and backpackers. The unseasonably warm temperatures and full sun made this a perfect hike for Valentine's Day and for a holiday weekend. We were not familiar with the trail network and ended up on one of the central paths leading to the Ancient Lakes. Several waterfalls were flowing from the basalt cliffs this day. Birds of prey circled the cliff edges, riding the thermals. The lakes were teaming with water fowl. And, the largest of the lakes was ringed with flocks of red winged blackbirds, singing loudly throughout the day. We enjoyed this opportunity to enjoy a warm and sunny day when our Western WA home was socked in with fog, showers, and cool temperatures. I'd suggest making this a two-day trip from Seattle to allow for multiple hikes in the Ancient Lakes region and to explore other options such as the Ginko Petrified Forest network: http://www.wta.org/go-hiking/hikes/gingko-petrified-forest-interpretive-trails