This unit has limited access due to no available parking.
The Big Bend Unit presents a dramatic landscape sculpted 15,000 to 12,000 years ago by the Okanogan Lobe of the Cordilleran Ice Sheet. The unit is comprised of basalt cliffs, rolling hills peppered with basalt haystack rocks, low buttes that overlook the Columbia River, riparian draws, permanent and seasonal creeks, and rugged slopes filled with Ponderosa pine.
The Big Bend Wildlife Unit is located 14 miles north of Grand Coulee on the south shore of the Columbia River in northeast Douglas County. The unit is accessed from the Strahl Canyon, Alameda Flats, Twin Springs, China Creek, Smith Lake, and Barry and Pendell roads.
The Big Bend Wildlife Area is located within the Columbia Plateau along the shoreline of the Columbia River on the reservoir created by the Chief Joseph Hydroelectric project. Surrounding parcels are managed by the Department of Natural Resources, U.S. Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and by the Colville Confederated Tribes. Land use is predominantly agriculture.
Game Management Unit: 248
Recreation and public access
A Discover Pass is required on WDFW lands -- including water access areas, wildlife areas, and campgrounds -- unless you already have a Vehicle Access Pass issued with the purchase of an eligible hunting or fishing license. Recreate responsibly on public lands: please know the Public Conduct Rules.
Public facility information:
- No developed parking
- No restroom
Recreation and access advisories
- China Creek Road, Twin Springs Road, and other county roads in the vicinity are unimproved and may be impassable in wet weather, especially in spring. In winter months, these roads and most adjacent county roads are not plowed, so visitors travel at their own risk.
- Fireworks are prohibited.
- Motorized vehicles and ebikes are prohibited.
- Snowmobiling is prohibited.
- Mountain biking is only allowed on interior service roads of the unit.
- Open fires are not permitted at any time during the year.
- When parking on county roads please allow sufficient room for traffic to pass safely.
- Cell phone coverage here is not reliable.
- Ticks occur here--observe appropriate precautions.
- Rattlesnakes may be encountered anytime in spring and summer--observe appropriate precautions (PDF).
- This area has an active grazing permit that prescribes rest/rotation management. Visitors can expect to encounter livestock between April and Dec.
Hunting
This area is in the Big Bend Game Management Unit # 248. Mule deer hunting is popular, so expect crowded conditions during the modern firearm season, especially opening weekend. Some hunters access the area by boat. The area has an abundance of wild turkeys and is open for the spring turkey hunting season. Upland game bird hunters can expect to find gray partridge, chukar, California quail, and dusky grouse.
The area is available to disabled hunters during the archery, muzzleloader and modern firearm seasons through the Road Access Entry Program and Drawing.
Hunting advisories
- All lands in Washington State are CLOSED to the taking of sharp-tailed grouse and sage grouse. Upland bird hunters are advised that sharp-tailed grouse and sage grouse are protected species and can be found anywhere on the unit. Hunters should be alert to the presence of these birds on this area and be proficient at identifying them.
Wildlife viewing
This unit has diverse habitats, including shrubsteppe, aspen and Ponderosa pine stands, wetlands, pothole lakes, basalt cliffs, low buttes, and caves, offering opportunities to view a variety of wildlife, including mule deer, chukar, golden eagle, four grouse species (dusky, ruffed, sharp-tailed and sage), gray partridge, California quail, sage thrasher, and wild turkey.
The Audubon's Great Washington State Birding Trail Coulee Corridor is four miles south of this unit.
Search for potential birding opportunities on or near a wildlife area unit by using eBird Northwest, a citizen science database portal that provides freely-shared bird lists at 'hotspots' and interactive maps plus other birding information updated daily.
Other recreational opportunities
Miles of two-track roads closed to motorized vehicles offer opportunities for hiking, horseback riding, and mountain biking.
Other advisories
- Sage grouse (state-listed threatened species) and sharp-tailed grouse (state-listed endangered species) are sensitive to human disturbance. Do not flush or otherwise disturb these birds.
Conservation
Although shrubsteppe is the most dominant habitat, other habitat types include aspen and Ponderosa pine stands, seasonal wetlands, pothole lakes, basalt cliffs, caves, talus, and snags.
Special habitats and species
Diverse habitats on the wildlife area provides habitat for sharp-tailed grouse, sage grouse, waterfowl, shorebirds, Neotropical migrants, songbirds, mule deer, butterflies, and wildflowers.
Conservation goals
- Protect and restore native plant communities that support sharp-tailed grouse and sage-grouse, and other shrubsteppe obligates
Diverse habitats on the wildlife area provides habitat for sharp-tailed grouse, sage grouse, waterfowl, shorebirds, Neotropical migrants, songbirds, mule deer, butterflies, and wildflowers.
- Protect and restore native plant communities that support sharp-tailed grouse and sage-grouse, and other shrubsteppe obligates
Land stewardship
Most of the Big Bend Wildlife Area was acquired in fee title for the benefit of several state and federally listed and rare species. WDFW leases 640 acres of this unit from the Department of Natural Resources.
Acquisition history
The parcels making up this area were purchased between 2014 and 2021.
| Funder | Fund |
|---|---|
| US Fish and Wildlife Service | Endangered Species Act Section 6 Program |
| WA Recreation and Conservation Office | Washington Wildlife and Recreation Program |