Frenchman Coulee — Saturday, Apr. 6, 2024

We parked above Frenchman Coulee near the climber’s camp and restrooms. The place was packed by the time we arrived at 10:30, however, once we started on the trail we saw very few people.

We made this a loop, shown in the last image. We followed the trail west, climbing to a high point where it then leveled out for the next mile. Signs marked different climbing areas, accessible by gullies. We stayed on top. The flowers are just springing up and there is a lot of greenery so it felt lush and verdant. We made our way down to Echo Basin and headed south toward the sand dunes. We climbed to the top of the dunes and then followed a faint trail east and then north back to our car.

Saw a lot of flowers, plants, lichen, basalt rock and some deer. Plenty of solitude. There are some beautiful little surprises on this trail, including a desert oasis with lakes, a stream, and waterfall.

No shade, bring water & snacks, have fun! Gaia or GPS is helpful. The route we took was 4.5 miles, 750 gain and 2.5 hours with a few short breaks.