Backpack to Ancient Lakes

Well it is--a quick glance at the areas around the lake reveals that. Prickly hedgehog cactus dot the slopes around the trail as does an array of desert wildflowers. In the heart of this 15,266-acre wildlife area, you'll find sparkling potholes surrounded by massive basalt cliffs. The geological wonders are a product of the erosion of lava flows by ancient glacial floodwaters. The many layers of basalt are exposed, and several of the potholes are filled with water that has seeped from the irrigation systems that feed the Quincy basin farmlands upslope. These wetlands, ponds, and lakes have added important habitat diversity to this area. Ancient Lake is one such set of numerous "filled potholes" that dot this coulee.

Start hiking down the old jeep road that rolls on past the gates at the road's end. Through the first mile or so of the track, keep an eye on the brush--upland game birds abound here, with quail, Hungarian partridge, and even a few chukar living among the rocks and sage.

This is a rich historical area, as evidenced by the archeological dig occurring just 0.25 mile from the trailhead (the bone hunters were excavating a giant ground sloth). At 0.7 mile, leave the jeep track and head east (left) on a single-track trail as it angles up into the heart of a vast coulee that contains the Ancient Lake potholes. Come spring, wildflowers begin to wake up. By late May, the floor of the coulee is covered with flowering plants. Above the trail, the coulee's vertical basalt walls are startlingly colorful (russet reds mixed with the blues and blacks common to all basalt). At about 2 miles in, you'll reach the lake basin. Silvery gray cottonwood snags line portions of the lakeshore, and waterfowl frequently feed in the lake. Explore the lake basin--a deep bowl ringed with black basalt cliffs--before heading back down the coulee.