Welcome to Columbia Breaks Country. The name comes from the
basalt cliffs and ridges known as "Breaks". The Columbia Breaks
form a natural boundry between the semi-arid desert plateau of
Eastern Washington and the dense forests of the Cascades.
The Columbia Breaks Fire Interpretive Center is a project in the
works. It began with the concept of bringing an old Forest Service
fire lookout tower down from the mountains to an accessible spot
along a well-traveled highway. The concept has since flared to
reality as the Columbia Breaks Fire Interpretive Center continues
to develop. The one-half mile graveled path is an easy 30-minute
walk located on the 17 acres of property that will one day house
the entire Columbia Breaks Interpretive Center.
This interpretive trail has twelve stops along the one-half mile
loop. A trail brochure may be obtained at the kiosk located at stop
one. It is filled with descriptive information about the forest and
firefighting. Be sure to sign your name in the logbook at the
kiosk.
From the parking area and trailhead, the lookout tower you see
was brought down from
Chelan Butte. It was one of 600 lookouts that were
operated in Washington state and served as the early-warning system
for wildfires. It was first manned in 1939 and is now listed on the
National Historic Register. As you proceed, you will see how
wildfire has shaped the eastside dry forest. Learn how people, past
and present, responded to this wildfire environment.
Stop Number 7 is another retired lookout tower, brought down
from
Badger Mountain, located north of Ellensburg, WA.
The CBFIC Foundation members are currently building a new
outdoor amphitheater, which will be part of the planned Columbia
Breaks Fire Interpretive Center.
Enjoy the Trail of Fire and Forest in Columbia Breaks country
and please stay on the trails. The cache is located near the Lion
Rock lookout tower and has a nice view of the Columbia River.
Please bring a pencil to sign the log. I will place one in the
cache next time I'm in the area.
The Navigatorz
