Sun Lakes Trail Run

05/05/2024

7-mile, 14-mile, 21-mile

Sunday, May 5, 2024

9:30am start

Sun Lakes-Dry Falls State Park, Coulee City, WA

Sun Lakes-Dry Falls State Park encompasses a natural amphitheater ringed by majestic cliffs that were once an enormous waterfall. This is a beautiful flood-carved monument to the epic geology of Washington State. Massive basalt flows blanketed the state east of the mountains several million years ago, and then ice age floods carved and ripped into the basalt tens of thousands of years ago, leaving whimsical lakes, dips, caves, and canyons carved into the land. These channeled scablands are breathtaking to behold and fun to explore.

The park is a remarkable oasis on the sunny side of the Cascade Mountains with great amenities for a getaway: A neighboring resort with cabins and RV hookups, camping, miles of trails, lakes for swimming, boating, and fishing, a golf course, a store, an amphitheater, WiFi and a concession stand with snacks and fast food at the nearby Dry Falls Visitor Center and scenic overlook, and expansive lawn areas with picnic tables for relaxing and enjoying the view or a picnic by the lake.

A mix of sandy and rocky trails runs along ridgetops with views of lakes and wetlands and in and out of canyons. The trails connect the developed areas of the park with the relative solitude of the flood-carved ancient lakes at the base of the dry falls to the east.

One more reason to make a weekend of the run is that the Grand Coulee Dam is a scenic 45 minute drive to the north of the park along the Grand Coulee!

Registration
Results & Photos
Course Description
Schedule
Directions & Parking
Camping & Lodging
Sun Lakes Navigation Race
Apparel
Safety, Etiquette & Dogs

Registration

	Open (through 11/14)	Early (through 3/21)	Pre-registration (through 5/3)	Day-of-Event
7-mile	37.00	41.00	45.00	50.00
14-mile	47.00	52.00	57.00	65.00
21-mile	57.00	62.00	67.00	75.00

Online pre-registration closes Thursday, May 3 at 11:59pm. Event-day registration will be available onsite.

View the registration confirmation list to verify your registration or to see who else is registered.

Runners in elementary, middle, or high school are eligible to receive a $10 discount on pre-registration or event-day registration prices for all Northwest Trail Runs events. The discount will be auto generated based on your birthday when you register online.

PC: Agustin Sanchez

Results & Photos

2023 Results & Photos by Agustin Sanchez

Course Description

The course is a loop of approximately 7 miles length, and the three event distances will run it one, two, or three times.

The route has a variety of running surfaces, trail/road widths, and terrain views. The majority of the route is on single-track trail (79%), which varies from sandy to rocky. The route also includes paved road (12% at the end), dirt and gravel roads (6%), and grassy lawn (3%). Less than half a mile of the single track trail (about 7% of the route) is infrequently used and will appear to be more of a beaten-down path in the grass or a collection of animal trail segments than an established trail. The entire route will be well marked.

Here is a description of the route: The Boy Scout Trail starts out with a narrow-to-medium width, following the high ground between the campground and Mirror Lake. It then dips and climbs in and out of the Meadow Creek drainage before crossing a gravel road (with light official vehicle traffic only.) It continues along a flattish area with views of Vic Meyers Lake and its artificial fishing peninsula before wrapping around the valley to the east of the lake and connecting to an old road grade and then small single-track trails that connect to the established hiking route of the Umatilla Rock Trail that follows along the northwest side of Perch Lake. The trail crosses the end of the Dry Falls Lake boat ramp road, where a remote aid station is located, then climbs a rocky escarpment to pass the northeast end of Umatilla Rock.

Now the route is in the heart of the Dry Falls, with majestic basalt cliffs ringing the vast valley. The trail gently descends to the edge of the seasonally-dry Green Lake then turns to the west through a linear depression at the foot of a towering cliff. The narrow single-track trail climbs then flows through flatter terrain before becoming less distinct and dipping into the lovely oasis of the Delany Spring valley, where it joins the Delany Springs Trail. The Delany Springs Trail is braided and may be intermittently overgrown by the lush valley grasses until it climbs a rocky slope to more arid and rocky ground. A short connector trail links to the Umatilla Rock Trail, which follows the base of Umatilla Rock southwest through a landscape dotted by an assortment of whimsically-shaped large basalt outcrops, some resembling rocky haystacks, to the Umatilla Trailhead. From here, the route follows the gravel road south about 650 meters to the paved Deep Lake Road, then follows the road west for a little over a kilometer. The route leaves the road onto a disused trail that goes a few hundred meters through the forested area along Meadow Creek then crosses the road and climbs up and over a broad, sandy ridge before dropping down in the grassy picnic areas and across Park Lake Road before returning to the amphitheater.

Here is a map of the route (click for higher-resolution PDF):

GPX file of the course

Aid Stations
An aid station is located about 2.8 miles into the loop, where the course goes along the boat launch road by Dry Falls Lake. There is also an aid station adjacent to the start/finish.

This means that 21-mile runners will have 5 aid station stops, 14-mile runners will have 3 aid station stops, and 7-mile runners will have one aid station stop. Food, water, and electrolyte drink will be available at the finish for everyone.

The aid stations offer water, electrolyte drink, and some carbohydrate-rich or salty foods, such as cookies, pieces of energy bar, gels, chews, chips, bagel, fruity candy, fig bars, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, and/or bananas.

In addition, aid stations have basic first aid supplies and some period hygiene products for runners who might need them.

PC: Agustin Sanchez

Schedule

SUNDAY, MAY 5
8:30am – Check-in and day-of-event registration opens
9:20am – Pre-run briefing
9:30am – Start for all distances
1:00pm – Cutoff for runners to start final lap
2:45pm – Course closes

Directions & Parking

The registration/check-in, start, and finish are located at the Sun Lakes Amphitheater (click for a Google Map for directions.) Parking is available in a lot adjacent to the amphitheater, as well as a few hundred meters to the south along Park Lake Road, on either side of the bend in the road. The campground is adjacent to the amphitheater, so if you are staying at the campground, then you may wish to simply walk over to the start.

A DISCOVER PASS IS REQUIRED to park at Washington State Parks and other state lands. You may buy a $11.50 one-day pass at the park, or purchase a $35 annual pass online or in-store at participating retailers. Visit the Discover Pass website for more information.

Camping & Lodging

Camping at Sun Lakes
There are 96 campsites, 41 full-hookup sites, restrooms and showers. All campsites have a fire pit. Campsites range from $27-37/night. Full-hookup sites are $40-50, depending on the site. Reserve at the Washington State Parks reservations site.

The campground Campground restrooms

Cabins at Sun Lakes Resort
All units are air conditioned, with a kitchenette and bath. Linens are provided. Bring cookware, dishes, and utensils. They also offer RV sites. There’s a restaurant on site, a golf course, and boat rentals. Reserve here.

Here is the current pricing:
Lakeside, $138 (sleeps 6) or $145 (sleeps 7)
Poolside, $147* (sleeps 6) – To reserve one of our block of 6 at this price, reserved through January, say that you’re with Northwest Trail Runs.
~~Mobile home~~ SOLD OUT
~~Lakeview~~ SOLD OUT
Campsites, $41-46/night

* Pool opening is weather-dependent

Cinco de Mayo celebration at Sun Lakes Resort on Saturday, May 4
There will be inflatables, a bouncy house, bands, and a snack bar. $20 admission. There will be a mechanical bull for an additional charge.

Hotels
There are places to stay in some of the nearby cities, mostly 30-50 minutes drive from the park.

Other cabins, camping, and RV sites
There are two resorts at the other end of Park Lake from the park facilities: Sun Village Resort and Coulee Lodge Resort.

Apparel

You can add the 2024 Northwest Trail Runs apparel to your race registration and pick them up at the event, or check them out and purchase at the event.

You don’t see your preferred size? Email us, and we may be able to accommodate.

$18.10 + tax – short sleeve tech shirts, in unisex, women’s cuts & youth

$22.70 + tax – long sleeve tech shirts, in unisex and women’s cut; $27.20 + tax – cotton hoodie, unisex

Safety, Etiquette & Dogs

GENERAL SAFETY
The trails will be open to other users during the event, including pedestrians with pets, cyclists, and equestrians. Horses have the right-of-way, so please step aside and talk with the rider in a friendly voice if you encounter horseback riders. Participants are responsible for their own safety while participating, and the organizers are neither qualified nor equipped to render medical care in the event of a serious injury. In case of an emergency, call 9-1-1. You are encouraged to bring a cell phone with you as a safety precaution, if you wish.

PASSING ETIQUETTE
Where the trails are narrow, please let other participants pass you if they want to get by. It is a passing runner’s job to tell the person in front that they wish to pass.

HEADPHONES
If you’d like to listen to music while you’re on the course, please use headphones or earbuds, so that runners around you can’t hear it. Others may prefer a quieter event experience or may have different musical tastes.

Also, keep the volume low enough that you can hear someone talking to you in a normal voice, for example, another runner saying they would like to pass on your left.

DOGS
Our events are USATF sanctioned and subject to USATF policies, and so dogs are not allowed to accompany runners on the course.