Mt. Spokane Snowshoe Trails

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.