Washington is full of mystery and wonder, which is one of the many things we love about it. We’ve mentioned the Evergreen State’s underwater ghost towns, but did you know we also have a lake that ghosts us every year, only to return the following spring? It’s true, and our disappearing lake is unlike anything you’ll find in the Pacific Northwest.
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The temporary lake in question is located deep in the Gifford Pinchot National Forest in Lewis County.
Zach Urness / YouTube The area that the lake appears in is known as South Prairie, which is otherwise just an ordinary (beautiful) meadow.
The lake appears each spring, filling the meadow that’s full of Cottonwood trees as tall as skyscrapers.
Zach Urness / YouTube Forest Service botanists speculate that this happens when a lava tube freezes up and dams up the creek that feeds the prairie.
During the lake’s brief appearance, you’ll often see people canoeing and kayaking through it.
Zach Urness / YouTube The water is six to eight feet deep in places, so it’s certainly deep enough to do that.
Then, about eight weeks after its arrival, the lake vanishes just as quickly.
Zach Urness / YouTube If the lava tube theory is correct, this happens when the ice inside the tube melts and causes the lake water to recede.
Aside from the mysterious appeal, the best thing about this lake is the bayou-like feel it has.
Zach Urness / YouTube Some people report feeling like they’ve been transported to Louisiana when they’re boating across this beauty. Paddling right by those huge cotton trees is also a unique experience.
Washingtonians have been sticking close to home this spring, so there’s no telling how far the disappearing lake is in its current cycle. Also, it can be tough to find without having exact driving directions. Luckily, Zach Urness made a fantastic video and put it on YouTube for us all to experience. Enjoy a virtual lake tour here:
Zach Urness / YouTube
The area that the lake appears in is known as South Prairie, which is otherwise just an ordinary (beautiful) meadow.
Forest Service botanists speculate that this happens when a lava tube freezes up and dams up the creek that feeds the prairie.
The water is six to eight feet deep in places, so it’s certainly deep enough to do that.
If the lava tube theory is correct, this happens when the ice inside the tube melts and causes the lake water to recede.
Some people report feeling like they’ve been transported to Louisiana when they’re boating across this beauty. Paddling right by those huge cotton trees is also a unique experience.
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Address: Gifford Pinchot National Forest, Washington 98377, USA
