Mt. Spokane Snowshoe Trails
Best known for its downhill and Nordic ski areas, Mt. Spokane is also a great place to snowshoe! There are six official trails ranging from easy to difficult.
Hike of the Week:
January 21, 2008
- In addition to downhill skiing and groom cross country trails, Mount Spokane State Park offers plenty of snowshoeing opportunities throughout the winter. Photo by Billy Bender.
Location: 25 miles NE of Spokane
Distance: Several choices 1.5 to 4 miles roundtrip
Elevation: from 240 to 1350 feet gain
Maps: USGS Mt Spokane & Mt Kit Carson; Mt Spokane snowshoe map
Why Go?
Best known for its downhill and Nordic ski areas, Mt. Spokane is also a great place to snowshoe! Mt. Spokane State Park is a year-round recreational gem that boasts one of the inland Northwest's tallest peaks at 5889 feet; it is also Washington's largest state park.
In winter, it is snowy here even when the city is not. The mountain averages 300 inches of snow a year!
Snowshoes are permitted throughout the park, except in the designated Nordic and downhill ski areas. There are six official trails ranging from easy to difficult. Friends of Mt. Spokane posts a summary of each trail on their website, and along with the snowshoe map, you can make quite a day of it.
The trails are northeast of the Nordic area, and two of the best climb to a CCC Cabin (4 miles roundtrip) where you can warm up inside, and to the top of Mt. Spokane (3 1/4 miles roundtrip), which is also the top of the ski hill and sports a cafeteria. Not exactly a wilderness experience, but lots fun.
For More Information:
Mt. Spokane State Park (509) 238-6845; Friends of Mt. Spokane (for summary of trails & map)
Directions:
From Spokane, take Hwy 2 north 10 miles. In Mead, go right (east) for 15 miles to Mt. Spokane State Park. A regular Sno-Park pass and groomed Sno-Park pass are required to park at the trailhead.
