LAKE ROOSEVELT

Lake Roosevelt is a surprise, a diverse gem of a water adventure, half lake and half river. On maps, it appears merely as a wide river. And while in many places it is, its languid waters and predictable winds create an easy-going lake retreat devoid of some of the worries river boating can often carry.

Diversity drives Lake Roosevelt, where a day's houseboat trip can take you from forested hardwood forests teaming with wildlife to narrow gorges where high cliffs tower above you and perfect views can be had with a short hike to the top. The result is the opportunity to create a unique, distinct houseboating adventure. Depending on your wishes - relaxed couples retreat, family adventure, extended fishing trip, picturesque family retreat or annual friend gathering ripe with opportunities for relaxing on the top deck in the hot tub and warming up each morning by the gas-powered fireplaces before venturing out for the day's hiking or relaxing near the boat combing the beaches or relaxing on the deck.

Lake Roosevelt may be a man-made creation, but its natural beauty and roaming wildlife hide what was once just a part of the Columbia River Basin project. The lake's start began with the 1941 building of the Grand Coulee Dam, a project designed to tap the Columbia River for electricity and turn an arid landscape into farmland. Since 1946, the National Park Service has watched over the area, along with the Colville and Spokane Indian tribes.

The lake is a National Recreational Area, its shore bordering either the Okanogan National Forest or tribal land of the Colville Confederated Tribes and the Spokane Tribe of Indians. With relatively few populated areas on its shores - most buildings and people are clustered around one of the lake's four marinas, plenty for any re-fueling you might need but not so many as to insert themselves into your trip too often – finding a secluded cove for beaching takes little effort.

Houseboaters are free to land anywhere, and you can hike anywhere the mood strikes. With opportunities for spotting elk swimming from island to shore, eagle watching at the cliffs in the southern part of the lake and fishing throughout, Lake Roosevelt is the ultimate wildlife lover's houseboating adventure.

The lake spans three distinct geographic areas - the Okanogan Highlands, the Columbia Plateau, and the Kootenay Arc - created and sculpted by a landmark Ice Age flood that left its mark on the entire northwest. The resulting diverse habitat creates conifer forests, grasslands and scrublands that host an estimated 75 mammal species, 200 bird species and 25 reptiles and amphibians
.
The result is an atmosphere that can host a trip full of fun - waterskiing, boating and jet skiing - or a trip of relaxation.

We began the trip with a warm welcome from the crew at Dakota Columbia, a family affair that started more than 10 years ago by Laurel and Charlie Parker as an answer to the perfect way to enjoy waterfront living and their love of houseboating. Consider them the perfect guides for discovering little-explored coves, unique waterfalls and hikes and perfect fishing holes. Our hosts offered plenty of suggestions for prime spots to beach each night, although we discovered some of our own out of sense of adventure.

One of two houseboat companies on the lake, Dakota Columbia is located at Twin Rivers Marina, at the halfway mark on the lake. Aboard the suave Dakota Columbia house­boats you'll find all the luxuries - plus some - of home, all easily learned and run with an on-board briefing.

Dakota offers two classes of houseboats, both with multiple all-wood cabins, a top deck hot tub and gas fireplaces in the main living area, along with a whole-boat stereo system and television and DVD entertainment center.

Neither my traveling companion nor I are expert boatmen and navigating a 56-foot houseboat through the rigors of beaching and leaving, firing up the generator and general mechanical needs could have been daunting. The hour-long briefing we received on our first morning as we prepared to depart was more than enough to put us both at ease with the functions of the boat. By the time friends joined us two nights later for the remainder of the trip, we had become a well-oiled beaching machine expert on the ways of staking the boat each night and knowing how to spot potential problems lurking just under the surface of the water.

Thankfully, Lake Roosevelt is nearly entirely clear of underwater dangers at the coves and beaches, and the few that do exist are clearly marked on the maps Dakota Columbia posts on each boat. Those same maps also call out several popular and known sites for hiking, wildlife spotting and general beauty, and we came to rely heavily on the recommendations laid out on the map as we meandered our way north and south on the river.

Our first day's venture took us to a beach near the campground Enterprise, mostly devoid of campers now that fall had begun and the weekend had just ended. The day spent motoring up to the beach - about 15 miles north of the marina - had provided just enough warmth and sun to make us look for­ ward to the cool of evening. Fall on Lake Roosevelt provides a little bit of the best of both seasons. Warm days and cooler evenings mean the perfect mix of sun during the day and the need to use the hot tub and fireplace at night, creating a cozy retreat surrounded by the sound of lapping waters.

We built a fire with driftwood gathered from the shore as the sun went down, accompanied by a few of the campers still left on the beach.

The next day proved a perfect time for an adventure. Languid coves in the northern reaches of the lake lend call for renting one of Dakota Columbia's runabout Triumph boats. The 17-foot skiff proved perfect for a daytrip up and down the shoreline, scoping out potential swimming holes - the water, while cold, still beckoned with its crystal­ clear clarity - discovering hikes just off the shoreline and lunching on a deserted beach

The next day we ventured back south towards the marina, beaching near Hawk Creek so we could rendezvous with our traveling companions.

Not only do you not have to worry about where you land, you'll encounter pure wildlife almost anywhere you beach. Even beaches near the more populated areas feel remote. The lake's trademark cliffs and hills tend to block any bright lights and noises that could otherwise filter through. Hawk's Creek is one of the lake's more populated areas, yet that evening we could have been out in the middle of nowhere.

The next day dawned rainy, which could have threatened any outdoor fun. But with just a light mist falling, I took the opportunity to explore my fishing potential while we waited for our friends to arrive.

Call me a hack fisherman - I walked into a little store across from the marina and asked what I should buy for tackle when I purchased my fishing license - but even I still managed to land a few fish. A rainy morning spent trawling the shoreline uncovered a sweet spot for bass. I had at least six strikes, lost one hook and bait when the line broke (the fish was too big for my lackadaisical knot tying) and landed three fish.

If you don't have the patience to risk finding that perfect fishing hole - I might mention that I tried fishing the previous two days at various spots around the lake without any luck - head down to the store near Twin Coves Marina and ask around for a guide.

Once we departed Hawk Creek, we entered an entirely different landscape. Where before we'd been surrounded by rolling hills covered in hardwood forests, we suddenly found ourselves surrounded by 100-foot cliffs topped with desert landscapes. The wind picked up that day, and a bright blue sky full of sun made the lake resemble something straight out of New Mexico rather than Washington. We ventured another 15 miles south before turning around and beaching for the night on a remote shore topped by a cliff, perfect for a short hike to catch glorious views of the entire gorge.

The trip was over entirely too soon. We'd left many more miles of shoreline unexplored and forecasted glorious sunny days beckoned for a trip extension. But we left the marina knowing the Parkers would be there to welcome us the next time we wanted to explore the great Pacific Northwest.


Vital Stats:
Lake Roosevelt in the Lake Roosevelt National Recreation Area
One hour northwest of Spokane, WA.
144 miles long, 312 miles of public shoreline http-//www.nps.gov/laro/index.htm

Columbia Dakota Houseboats Twin Rivers Marina www.columbiadakota.com
1-800-816-2431
56-foot Stargazer class sleeps 15: 56-foot lux­ ury Galaxy Class sleeps 14.

Laura Willoughby grew up boating on her grandparents’ houseboat but converted to an avid sailor in her early adulthood. She's now contemplating a conversion to the comforts of houseboats. She lives in Annapolis, MD.

​

Originally published December, 2004

Photos provided by the author.