Columbia Refuge Walk For The Wild

Take A Hike — With A Ranger

Columbia is a land of cliffs and crags and crannies. The Missoula Floods ripped open the earth, exposing the columnar basalt beneath. In their wake was a landscape perfect for bats and birds and bunnies. The Columbia Basin Project and O'Sullivan Dam raised the water table, filling in the holes gouged by the floods, creating watery habitats for even more birds and bass and bald eagles. We invite you to take this opportunity to visit this special place to learn a bit about the bats and birds with Breanna.

We'll leave from the main trailhead at 9:00 a.m. and follow the Rimrock Trail. The trail is 3.3-miles-long (round trip) with an elevation gain of 200 feet. Although starting out near Crab Creek, this trail promptly leads into the drier shrub-steppe habitat. After meandering past striking columnar basalt formations, the trail ascends, circling the top of a mesa and provides a beautiful view of the surrounding refuge landscape.

This is cheatgrass country, so please, please wear hiking boots. Cheatgrass seeds burrow into everything and wearing low-top sneakers with fuzzy socks . . .

Bring plenty of water, as well as the standards—sunscreen, sunglasses, hat, snack, etc. If you have to bring your dog, they must be on a leash.

Need a map? Here you go.

This event is in association with the Public Lands Alliance and their Walk for the Wild.

Event date and time
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Event category

Outdoor Activity
Age range
Middle/Junior High (Grades 6-8), High School (Grades 9-12), Young adult, Adult, Senior (12 and up)
Recreational activities