Lenore Lake Caves — Sunday, Apr. 26, 2015

Central Washington

This is not the hike to do when you're on a schedule. The trails here are more of a network than one clearly delineated trail, which means it's better for a casual wander than a hike to a destination. Unfortunately, I had allotted less than an hour of exploring, so I'll have to come back. That being said, it's a nice place. The caves aren't as deep as I expected, but are nice and cool if the temperatures are warm, and the hiking reminded me of desert wandering in Colorado. Banks Lake was practically glittering in the late afternoon sun, and the breeze kept any bugs away, though there were some interesting clouds of gnats that weren't annoying at all. The best cave is the furthest from the trailhead, sunk deep into the ground below you as you look over the edge into it. I wouldn't make this a destination in and of itself, but just up the road is Dry Falls (which is really awe-inspiring, even though there aren't any trails to speak of there) and Steamboat Rock is close enough that it would be worth rolling all three into a day trip if you were camped nearby.