Odessa Crater Trails

There are over 100 basaltic craters located north and east of Odessa, Washington. Nobody is sure exactly how the craters formed however it is agreed that the Missoula Floods carved out the scablands and exposed these unique features. Two short hikes off of Hwy 21 lead to three of them.

The Odessa Crater Loop Trail is 2 miles round trip and drops down into a crater fairly quickly. We managed to go about 1/3 mile clockwise before turning around. We had a good view overlooking Amphitheater Crater. Counter clockwise the distance is even shorter before it starts downhill. A strong helper and a Free Wheel is necessary but the spring flowers made the effort worthwhile.

 

The Odessa Cache Crater Trail is only 1/3 mile, out and back. It's designated accessible but it isn't due to deep, loose gravel. It leads to a small but deep crater.

The parking lot for Odessa Crater Loop Trail is small without room to turn around. Parking along the side of the road may be the best option with large vehicles. The parking lot for Odessa Cache Crater Trail is a  pull off that is large enough for most RVs. Odessa Crater Loop Trail  Odessa Cache Crater Trail   

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