manresa grotto

Manresa Grotto, north of Usk, is a neat little diversion on the Kalispel Indian Reservation. It is a short, but somewhat steep walk up to the grotto area from the parking lot. It may not be the most spectacular cave you will see, but the way it is carved out is pretty cool. The main grotto you can walk into with no flashlights needed and has a nice view of the river. Not sure how often the tribe uses it anymore, but there is neat altar inside the grotto and a cross outside on top. The only downside to this experience is the graffiti. There is a lot of it. Restrooms and a small picnic area are here as well. If you want to know a bit more of the tribe and life on the Pend Oreille River, there is a nice short interpretive walk about 20 miles down the same road at Pioneer Park near Newport. Manresa Grotto is a bit off the beaten path, but it is a nice place to spend an hour or so.