Sun Lakes Navigation Race

05/04/2024

2, 4, & 8-hour Nav Race

Saturday, May 4, 2024

Northwest Nav Races is hosting a navigation race at Sun Lakes-Dry Falls State Park, near Coulee City, WA! This area has channeled scablands terrain, encompassing a natural amphitheater ringed by majestic cliffs that were once an enormous waterfall. This is a beautiful flood-carved monument to the epic geology of Washington State. Massive basalt flows blanketed the state east of the mountains several million years ago, and then ice age floods carved and ripped into the basalt tens of thousands of years ago, leaving whimsical lakes, dips, caves, and canyons carved into the land. These channeled scablands are breathtaking to behold and fun to explore.

The park is a remarkable oasis on the sunny side of the Cascade Mountains with great amenities for a getaway: A neighboring resort with cabins and RV hookups, camping, miles of trails, lakes for swimming, boating, and fishing, a golf course, a store, an amphitheater, WiFi and a concession stand with snacks and fast food at the nearby Dry Falls Visitor Center and scenic overlook, and expansive lawn areas with picnic tables for relaxing and enjoying the view or a picnic by the lake.

Are you new to nav racing? That’s okay! Check out the “First Time?” section to learn how it works. Also, a great way to practice is to attend Cascade Orienteering Club‘s events. The club offers Beginner, Intermediate, and Advanced-level courses, plus free beginner instruction before you begin. Cascade’s events are a great way to get acquainted with orienteering-style maps, which use special colors and symbols to provide more detailed information than the typical USGS map. The contour-reading, compass, and other navigation skills practiced through orienteering transfer well to navigation with a USGS map. If you’d like an orientation, or a refresher, then be sure to show up to the free Introduction to Navigation session at 8:00am on event morning! We’ll provide an introduction to the map, reading contours, basic navigation, and how to use the compass to orient the map.

You can also connect with us by Liking us on Facebook.

Registration
Results
Schedule
Sun Lakes Trail Run
Map & Terrain
Directions & Parking
Camping & Lodging
Safety & Etiquette

Registration

	Open (through 2/13)	Early (through 4/3)	Regular (through 5/2)	Day-of-Event
2-Hour Adult (22+)	25.00	29.00	34.00	40.00
2-Hour Adult w/ Child (12/under)	20.00	24.00	29.00	35.00
2-Hour Youth (13-21)	16.00	19.00	22.00	25.00
2-Hour Child (12/under)	11.00	14.00	17.00	20.00
4-Hour Adult (22+)	42.00	46.00	49.00	55.00
4-Hour Adult w/ Child (12/under)	34.00	37.00	41.00	45.00
4-Hour Youth (13-21)	29.00	32.00	36.00	40.00
4-Hour Child (12/under)	18.00	22.00	26.00	30.00
8-Hour Adult (22+)	57.00	62.00	67.00	75.00
8-Hour Adult w/ Child (12/under)	47.00	52.00	57.00	65.00
8-Hour Youth (13-21)	42.00	47.00	52.00	60.00
8-Hour Child (12/under)	29.00	32.00	36.00	40.00

Cascade Orienteering Club Discount
*Members of Cascade Orienteering Club may take off $6 by using code COC#member

Washington Trails Association Discount
*Members of Washington Trails Association may take off $6 by using code WTA#member

Search and Rescue Discount
*Search and Rescue volunteers may take off $10 by using code SAR#thanks

*Discount codes may not be combined.

View the registration confirmation list to see who is registered.

Online pre-registration closes Thursday, May 2 at 11:59pm.

Day-of-event registration is available by credit card, cash, or check made payable to MerGeo.

Results

2023 Results. And here are some 2023 phone photos snapped by our staff of teams in action and views of the terrain.

Schedule

A view of Sun Lakes-Dry Falls State Park looking west from the top of a cliff

SATURDAY, MAY 4

7:45am – Registration opens
8:00am – Introduction to Navigation (free!)
9:00am – Map handout
10:00am – Start!
12:00pm – 2-hour Finish
2:00pm – 4-hour Finish
6:00pm – 8-hour Finish
6:30pm – Course closing; all participants must report to the finish by this time

Sun Lakes Trail Run

SUNDAY, MAY 5

Stay another night and join us the next day for Sun Lakes Trail Run! Featuring 7-mile, 14-mile, and 21-mile distances, you can enjoy more time in this beautiful landscape!

Map & Terrain

Click the image for a higher-resolution version

The map scale will be between 1:15,000 and 1:20,000 and will either be based upon the USGS primary series maps, Park Lake and Coulee City, published in 1965, or be based upon 2021 lidar data. In the first case, the contour interval would be 10 feet (3 meters.) The maps will be updated with some new trails and possibly other features, as needed for the course. Mapped roads on the USGS maps are often disused and can be very hard to follow in places. The map may or may not reflect the current condition of old roads. The wetness of each mapped water feature may vary from what is mapped. Cliffs and other rock features will generally not be mapped, although some may be added to the map in areas where they are used as checkpoint features.

TERRAIN
The terrain is channeled scablands, with lower-relief undulating terrain separated by large impassable cliffs. There are few ways up or down the cliffs, and the impassable portions will likely be delineated with out-of-bounds markings, so that the safe crossing areas will be clear. There are numerous medium-sized or large lakes, as well as some small ponds or seasonally wet depressions.

As is often the case in channeled scablands terrain, there are flat-topped mesas or plateaus of a variety of sizes with relatively steeply sloping and often rocky or cliffy sides. The areas of higher ground are separated by valleys or depressions that are sometimes narrow and sometimes broad and gently sloped or undulating on the bottom. The valleys and depressions tend to have softer, silty or sandy soil, whereas the tops and sides of the hills tend to be rockier.

The vegetation is generally open, with low brush of varying density. In most places, walking or running are not impeded much by the underbrush. There are some, usually narrow, forested areas coinciding with water in many of the valleys. There is a moderate-to-sparse network of roads and trails over most of the area, although the intensely-used part of the park has a denser network in places.

Directions & Parking

The registration/check-in, start, and finish are located at the Sun Lakes Amphitheater (click for a Google Map for directions.) Parking is available in a lot adjacent to the amphitheater, as well as a few hundred meters to the south along Park Lake Road, on either side of the bend in the road. The campground is adjacent to the amphitheater, so if you are staying at the campground, then you may wish to simply walk over to the start.

A DISCOVER PASS IS REQUIRED to park at Washington State Parks and other state lands. You may buy a $11.50 one-day pass at the park, or purchase a $35 annual pass online or in-store at participating retailers. Visit the Discover Pass website for more information.

Camping & Lodging

Camping at Sun Lakes
There are 96 campsites, 41 full-hookup sites, restrooms and showers. All campsites have a fire pit. Campsites range from $27-37/night. Full-hookup sites are $40-50, depending on the site. Reserve at the Washington State Parks reservations site.

The campground Campground restrooms

Cabins at Sun Lakes Resort
All units are air conditioned, with a kitchenette and bath. Linens are provided. Bring cookware, dishes, and utensils. They also offer RV sites. There’s a restaurant on site, a golf course, and boat rentals. Reserve here.

Here is the current pricing:
Lakeside, $138 (sleeps 6) or $145 (sleeps 7)
Poolside, $147* (sleeps 6) – To reserve one of our block of 6 at this price, reserved through January, say that you’re with Northwest Trail Runs.
~~Mobile home~~ SOLD OUT
~~Lakeview~~ SOLD OUT
Campsites, $41-46/night

* Pool opening is weather-dependent

Cinco de Mayo celebration at Sun Lakes Resort on Saturday, May 4
There will be inflatables, a bouncy house, bands, and a snack bar. $20 admission. There will be a mechanical bull for an additional charge.

Hotels
There are places to stay in some of the nearby cities, mostly 30-50 minutes drive from the park.

Other cabins, camping, and RV sites
There are two resorts at the other end of Park Lake from the park facilities: Sun Village Resort and Coulee Lodge Resort.

Safety & Etiquette

OTHER USERS
The trails will be open to other users during the event, including pedestrians, cyclists, and equestrians (horseback riders). Please be courteous to others. Horses have the right of way, and if you encounter a horse in your path, stop running and talk to the rider and/or horse in a friendly voice, so that the horse knows you are not threatening; you will probably need to step to the side of the trail to let the horse past, but sometimes the rider will tell you it is okay to walk past. The amount of trail traffic will depend upon the weather.

DOGS
Dogs are allowed on-leash at this event. Since not everyone is comfortable interacting with dogs, please only bring your dog with you on the course if you can ensure that it does not approach or otherwise interfere with other participants.

EMERGENCIES
Participants are responsible for their own safety while participating, and the organizers are neither qualified nor equipped to render medical care in the event of a serious injury. In case of an emergency, call 9-1-1. You are encouraged to bring a cell phone with you as a safety precaution, if you wish; though know that you may not have cell reception while out on the course or even at the start/finish area.