Coulee Corridor Scenic Byway
Coulee Corridor Scenic Byway is a National Scenic Byway in Washington. Within Washington it covers roughly 160 miles. The map below shows its route. Use “Plan a drive” to open it in the Road Sorties route planner — already routing along Coulee Corridor Scenic Byway with scenic roads turned on, ready to add your own stops.
Coulee Corridor Scenic Byway is a 150-mile National Scenic Byway across north-central Washington, running from Omak south to Othello past the Grand Coulee Dam. The route strings together three highways: State Route 155 for 76 miles, a short 6-mile link on US 2 through Coulee City, and State Route 17 for the final 66 miles to Othello. Along the way it drops through the dramatic scablands of the ancient Missoula Floods, passing the massive Grand Coulee Dam, Steamboat Rock State Park's basalt cliffs rising from Banks Lake, and the mineral-rich waters of Soap Lake. Numerous smaller lakes and wildlife refuges break up the drive through otherwise stark, wind-carved coulee country, a landscape found almost nowhere else in the country. At roughly four hours end to end, it's one of the longer scenic byways in Washington, and its federal National Scenic Byway status reflects both the geologic story written into the coulees and the dam that transformed the region's agriculture in the 20th century.
- Omak to Othello
- 150 miles (SR-155 / US-2 / SR-17)
- Grand Coulee Dam
- Steamboat Rock State Park
- Soap Lake
- National Scenic Byway
- Missoula Floods scablands
Designated for its natural qualities
Plan a drive on Coulee Corridor Scenic Byway → Drive this route in Road SortiesTurn-by-turn on iPhone · App Store
Places to stop along Coulee Corridor Scenic Byway
Grand Coulee Dam
The largest hydroelectric plant in the U.S. and one of the biggest concrete structures anywhere. Take the visitor center tour, and on summer nights watch the laser show projected onto the spillway.
WebsiteColville Tribal Museum
The Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation's museum in Coulee Dam, with murals and exhibits on the twelve bands, the Kettle Falls fishery, and the river before the dams.
WebsiteSteamboat Rock State Park
A huge basalt butte rising from Banks Lake, with lakeside camping and a trail to its flat summit 800 feet above the water.
WebsiteDry Falls
A 3.5-mile-wide, 400-foot cliff that was a waterfall several times the size of Niagara during the Ice Age floods. The visitor center sits on the rim.
WebsiteColumbia National Wildlife Refuge
Lakes, marshes, and basalt coulees near Othello where sandhill cranes gather in spring and waterfowl fill the ponds in fall.
Website
Where to Stay along Coulee Corridor Scenic Byway
11 campgrounds and RV parks sit within about 5 miles of Coulee Corridor Scenic Byway.
Campsite, lodging, RV rental and membership links are affiliate links — booking through them may earn Road Sorties a small commission, at no extra cost to you. Recreation.gov links are not affiliate links.
Photos of Coulee Corridor Scenic Byway
What is a National Scenic Byway?
National Scenic Byways are roads recognized at the federal level for at least one outstanding quality — scenic, natural, historic, cultural, archaeological or recreational — that gives travelers a reason to seek them out rather than just pass through.