If you are dreaming of sunnier, warmer days outside, the Spokane Great Outdoors Expo is a shot of summer when we need it most in the dead of winter. It’s a lively gathering with experts in the local outdoors community, RVs and outdoor gear on display and for sale, presentations and demonstrations on a variety of outdoor topics, prize drawings, and enough engaging kids’ activities to keep families occupied for hours. Visit Spokaneoutdoorexpo.com for the full schedule and details.  

TONS OF FUN FOR KIDS & PARENTS 

The Spokane Great Outdoors Expo is a savior if your family has been spending their winter days indoors, with enough kids’ activities, entertainment and indoor bike riding to turn another winter weekend at home into an adventure! Parents will find plenty to love, including RVs and outdoor gear, outfitters and gear shops, travel destinations and a full bar. 

Extreme Halfpipe Skateboarding Demos  

Watch rippin’ skateboarders pull off sick stunts on and off the half pipe! Demonstrations happen both days indoors at the Expo courtesy of Hopper Skateboards, Yousta, and sponsor Layne Stoops State Farm, your local Spokane insurance agency. 

Kids’ Adventure Passport Activity 

Kids and parents can explore the Great Outdoors Expo, visiting multiple booths to complete learning activities, art projects and other creative and fun challenges. Kids collect stamps in a passport booklet at each station that can be exchanged for a bag of prizes for kids and parents when they finish. 

Magic Shows by Magician Matthew Vanzee 

Kids and adults will be dazzled by these shows all weekend long by talented local magician Matthew Vanzee. Last year, his shows drew a standing-room-only crowd as he performed tricks that inspired wonder, gasps and laughter. Don’t miss this show! 

Live Wild Animal Presentations 

Get up close and personal with live snakes, other reptiles, insects, and raptors including hawks and owls and learn about these amazing animals (presentations both days). 

• Reptiles Presentation: Learn about the fascinating world of reptiles by getting up close with some live reptiles in a hands-on learning experience. Gain a deeper appreciation for these often-misunderstood creatures.  

• Hawk and Owl Presentation: Discover the world of birds of prey and see some live raptors up close while learning about the hunting skills, behaviors, and unique characteristics of these impressive birds as well as the role they play in maintaining ecological balance in the wild.  

Kids’ Indoor Bike Riding Area  

Kids of all ages can try out different bikes, from Strider balance bikes for the littles to BMX bikes for “kids” of all ages including adults in an indoor riding area (all weekend long). 

Archery for Kids and Youth 

Learn about archery with local experts and get the chance to experience the art of the bow and arrow in a safe, educational environment—all indoors.  

Marshmallow Roasting 

Roast free marshmallows at our indoor “Expo Campground” around a faux campfire, complete with live music, camp chairs and games. 

Learn How to Use a Crosscut Saw 

Ever wonder what it’s like to be on the end of a cross-cut saw clearing trail? Give it a try with members of the Idaho Trails Association and learn about ways you can help keep Idaho’s wilderness trails clear and accessible while meeting other like-minded volunteers. 

Indoor Expo Campground 

Enjoy our indoor campground as you dream about next summer’s adventures! Kick back in a camp chair, roast a marshmallow, play yard games, enjoy an adult beverage, check out RVs from R’nR RV and listen to live American string music. The indoor “Campground” is also where we hold hourly drawings for thousands of dollars in outdoor gear and other prizes. 

JOIN NEGATIVE SPLIT’S 5K “SWAG RUN”  

What’s the Swag Run, you ask? If you’re even a casual runner, this is your chance to get outside on a 5K run with other smiling faces and get a morning workout on the scenic trails and pathways around Riverfront Park and the Spokane River. The cool thing about Negative Split’s Swag Run is that participants get to take home leftover swag from past races. The race starts and finishes at the Great Outdoors Expo at the Spokane Convention Center Saturday morning (Feb. 21). Runners also score a free ticket to the Great Outdoors Expo at the finish line! Sign up at Nsplit.com. 

FREE ENTRY INTO THE SPOKANE GOLF SHOW 

Your Expo ticket doubles as entry to the Spokane Golf Show going on in the same space at the convention center.  

PRESENTATIONS ON OUTDOORSY TOPICS  

Learn about wildlife, trails and natural history at presentations by local experts happening all weekend long. Past presentations have covered topics including staying safe in the outdoors around bears and other predators, wilderness survival, local trails and natural areas, navigating the different types of e-bikes and where you can ride them, identifying native birds and more. Check the full schedule at Spokaneoutdoorexpo.com. 

SCORE A FREE BONUS ADVENTURE DEAL WITH YOUR TICKET  

Choose from one of several free bonus adventure deals with your Spokane Great Outdoors Expo ticket purchase while they last. All bonus deals are redeemable only at the 2026 Spokane Great Outdoors Expo with your ticket stub. In past years, bonus deals included discounts on indoor climbing, ziplining, Stonerose Fossil Site digging, Route of the Hiawatha kids’ shuttle, skydiving and more! 

OVER 70 OUTDOOR EXPERTS ALL IN ONE PLACE 

Talk to real human experts on all things outdoor recreation related at the Great Outdoors Expo, from nonprofit conservation groups, public lands managers and outdoor clubs to RV dealers and overlanding companies, travel destinations, outdoor gear retailers, outfitters and guides and more. 

Whether you’re planning next summer’s adventures, looking for family fun in the middle of winter or just wanting to connect with Spokane’s outdoors community, the Great Outdoors Expo is the place to be. Mark your calendar for Feb. 21–22 and get ready to explore the outdoors—indoors. Visit Spokaneoutdoorexpo.com for more info and tickets.  

The post EXPLORE THE GREAT OUTDOORS INSIDE AT THE SPOKANE GREAT OUTDOORS EXPO   appeared first on Out There Venture.

Cover photo courtesy of Adam Gebauer

Picture a stand of large ponderosa trees with thick black and red puzzled bark, spaced far apart so their canopies don’t touch, grasses growing in the understory with a few sparse shrubs and saplings. This is the type of habitat that is shaped by frequent, low-intensity fire. There are no ladder fuels or an accumulation of wood on the forest floor to carry fire up into the crowns of trees. This type of forest is the goal of many prescribed burns in our dry east side ponderosa pine forests. 

Fire has shaped the landscapes of Eastern Washington, as it has with many of the landscapes across North America. Some studies have estimated that 60% of North America historically experienced regular fire intervals. Prairie fires prevented trees from encroaching and returned nutrients to the soil. Fires in western forests opened up the canopy to create meadows and propagate new trees, reduced the number of trees per acre and allowed grasses to grow in the understory. But different landscapes have evolved with different fire return intervals that are affected by climate, elevation, aspect and the plant species present. Subalpine forests would see fires every 300 to 400 years, whereas ponderosa pine forests had fires every 1 to 125 years. 

Unfortunately, fire suppression has been occurring in North America for almost 200 years, from outlawing tribal members from conducting cultural burning to federal policies that have focused largely on suppression. But, along with naturally occurring fire from lightning, people have been using fire to manipulate their environment for tens of thousands of years. Tribes in the region would burn meadows to increase camas yields or reduce tree cover in huckleberry patches. These manipulated fires would improve forage for large game and open up sight lines to improve hunting. Fires were also used for ceremonial practices and tribes had a close community connection to this tool. 

The lack of fire has altered many landscapes and therefore habitat for wildlife. In mid-elevation forests in the Inland Northwest, there is a lack of open forest conditions that support the aspen and grasslands preferred by grizzly bears, ungulates and wolves. Fires produce snags that support white-headed woodpeckers. They reduce thatch, the dead grass and pine needles, creating a connection with seeds and the soil. Ponderosa pines prefer to germinate on mineral soil and areas where the sun gets to the forest floor. Species like lodgepole pine have serotinous cones, meaning they only open to release their seeds when exposed to heat from a forest fire. 

Prescribed fire, the carefully planned and intentionally implemented practice of lighting fire, can help these landscapes accept naturally occurring, low-intensity fire. Other benefits of prescribed fires include wildfire hazard reduction, controlling competing vegetation, thinning and release of crop trees, disease control, site preparation, increasing the quantity and quality of forage for livestock grazing and managing and improving wildlife habitat. 

The first time you get to wield a drip torch or dig a containment line, you come to understand all the planning and experience that is needed to execute a prescribed burn. When you return to the site the next season, you can see the regeneration of seedlings and grasses and the hoof prints of deer and moose moving through the area. Many prescribed and cultural burns can be events that bring the community together to put good fire back on the landscape. 

Adam is gearing up for ski season by trying to stay uninjured. He has several backcountry ski trips planned to the far north and far east. 

The post Why Prescribed Burns Matter: The Role of Good Fire in Healthy Forests appeared first on Out There Venture.

There was a time in a previous life when I traveled to faraway places, because my only real responsibility was a basil plant I could easily replace. The wide, wild world of Patagonia and the Himalayas and the Alps awaited me, and Greta Thunberg hadn’t yet dismantled the guiltless glamor of air travel.  

Then I became a parent and I had to have a real job and live in the same place like a grown-up. I hear the nomad life is en vogue again among parents, but it wasn’t an option for me (single mom and all that). I needed to find a place where I could meet the needs of my wild-wilderness heart and still show up for work on Monday.  

Having grown up off-grid and bordering state land in North Idaho, I was remotely aware of the abundance of public lands here. We harvested moss to stuff between the logs in our cabin and picked enough thimble berries to make pies so sour, only cups of sugar could help. Our creek water was “clean” because no one lived above us to contaminate it—although I just assume we got immune to giardia as the thing dried out every summer and we never filtered a drop of it. 

It was not until I returned to North Idaho as an adult that I had the opportunity to explore a backyard as rugged, majestic, challenging, humbling, and untamed as any other place in the world I had been. Only now, these places were accessible within a few minutes’ drive to a trailhead.  

As a working parent on a budget, the country to which my child and I had access allowed us the most fantastic family adventures I could have hoped for. We traipsed to Harrison Lake for alpine scenery when my kid’s legs were too short for long distance. We hiked into Caribou Lake when it was frozen over and camped in the snow. We summited peaks together, splashed in crisp lakes, saw fish and bears and mountain goats and a world of wonder that shaped our lives and healed unthinkable wounds.  

We went hunting for mushrooms and huckleberries, learned how to orienteer with map and compass, and explored the streams and lakes of the Panhandle National Forest until our two-person family grew to four and we just got a bigger tent. The foundation of our new family was built on stewardship of the lands and resources we use, and a recognition that we are of and reliant upon nature. 

The memories made through the connection to these places remain the silken strands in the tapestry of our family. They are the stories we share at the dinner table. Accessibility to and preservation of these lands is how we cultivated our values of conservation and our reverence for the wild places. Which is exactly why a framed map of the Kaniksu National Forest, replete with pins in the places we’ve been, still adorns our dining room wall.  

Ammi Midstokke is the Literation columnist at Out There Venture. She considers public lands her backyard. She hopes you do, too. 

The post Lands of Wildness  appeared first on Out There Venture.

Cover photo courtesy of Washington DNR

By Bri Loveall 

Think of a big fire. Pull it up in your mind. I can picture the Carlton Complex fire of 2014 in the Methow Valley, when the sun was a constant circle of fiery red, barely visible through the smoky sky, and the AQI (Air Quality Index) hovered in the 500s for weeks. My throat felt raw after only minutes outdoors. I kept Visine in my day bag to alleviate the constant grit I seemed to have in my eyes. The Carlton Complex fire burned a little over a quarter of a million acres in the course of its six-week burn, with almost 3,000 personnel working the fire. And, as you know, there have been many wildfires in the Inland Northwest since then. 

As devastating as it is, wildfire isn’t an inherently bad thing. In fact, fires are an essential part of a healthy forest ecosystem, recycling nutrients back into the soil and clearing out dead or diseased vegetation so that other healthy plants may grow. But the effects of climate change, increased human-caused fires, and other complex dynamics mean that many present-day wildfires are larger, more destructive and difficult to manage.   

Aside from some vague, Hollywood-esque images of firefighters running through a burning forest, I had no real knowledge about how wildland fires were fought. Nor did I understand the complex level of communication and collaboration that happened between multi-jurisdiction agencies, which are dependent upon a healthy working budget and adequate staffing. While budget cuts and seasonal employee layoffs are a routine fixture in any organizational setting, the recent financial decisions of the Trump administration have generated a lot of cause for concern for the coming fire season.  

Monkey Wrenching with Wildland Firefighting and Public Safety 

Initial hiring freezes ordered by the Trump administration in early 2025 sent shock waves of concern through many of the federal and state agencies we rely on to combat wildfires. While wildland firefighters were eventually deemed exempt due to their critical public safety duties, the federal workforce layoffs that followed led some federally funded public land agency employees to take to the internet with tweets, posts and videos lamenting layoffs of critical wildland firefighting support staff, a move they say will hinder wildfire preparedness and response. 

When I spoke with Ryan Rodruck, Public Information Officer with the Washington Department of Natural Resources (DNR), he assured me that local teams of wildland firefighters would have no trouble managing the fires in their jurisdiction (smaller fires that begin on DNR land) this year.  

Since the DNR is a state agency and adheres to a state budget, it is not affected by federal cuts. In the last three years, 90% of fires in the northeast Washington region have been contained to fewer than 10 acres. This is thanks in large part to the DNR’s aggressive fuel management efforts, forest health management, prescribed burns and other wildfire prevention programs. The concern, Rodruck told me, is in the larger, multi-jurisdiction fires that exceed 10 acres. 

These larger fires are assigned to an incident management team (IMT), a group of people from various agencies: DNR, the Bureau of Land Management, USFS, local fire districts, and even the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The people who serve within these organizations typically have day jobs that are unrelated to their roles in fighting wildfires, but they are crucial to the functioning of complex interagency wildfire response teams. With the projected layoffs and budget cuts that multiple public land agencies are experiencing, it’s unclear if the employees with dual roles will be there when they’re needed.  

On the Job as a Wildland Firefighter 

Andrew Stenbeck is a veteran DNR wildland firefighter. During the off season he works with the DNR managing state lands, which includes timber harvest, planting trees, fuel reductions, and firefighting training. During the fire season, Stenbeck is a part of a Type 3 team, one that specializes in responding quickly to local fires and taking over the fire management from local resources.  

As Stenbeck described his 35 years as a wildland firefighter to me, I was surprised by the level of communication happening between multiple public land agencies. At the incident command post, or base camp, a slew of operations management teams (all staffed by members from different agencies) gather morning and night to create an Incident Action Plan, a detailed list that discusses safety, logistics, finances, and media plans. An incredible amount of planning happens before a firefighter ever steps foot onto the fire line, with multiple agencies working together to create a cohesive plan to safely contain a wildfire.  

At an incident command post (ICP) camp, firefighting personnel spend 14 days at a time (but sometimes up to 21 without reprieve), sleeping on cots, in tents, or on the ground as they work nonstop to fight fire. ICPs are usually located a safe yet practical distance from the wildland fire, though Stenbeck says he has been stationed as many as 45 minutes away. “It isn’t ideal,” Stenbeck tells me.  

Rodruck agrees, explaining that driving is the second most dangerous thing firefighters will do during fire season as they move back and forth from base camp to the fire line. Increases in wildlife movement, narrow (and often) gravel roads, as well as general fatigue on behalf of the drivers puts personnel at increased risk for accidents.  

When I ask Stenbeck what he likes about this job, he smiles and says he likes to be outdoors. I try to imagine what the fire line looks like before Stenbeck confirms that yes, it is hot, but the weather is still happening as a fire is raging. During the last fire of the season in 2024, Stenbeck awoke to find frost covering his tent. He then donned his gear—a heavy ensemble that includes Nomex pants and jacket, fire-resistant boots like Nick’s or Whites, as well as a hard hat, water, hand tool, first-aid kit, and fire shelter—and got back to work fighting fire.  

Fire bugs, the nearly 40 species of insects that are drawn to heat and smoke, pose another added risk to firefighters on the line. In the last season alone, Stenbeck watched three firefighters airlifted to medical facilities after entering anaphylactic shock from stings. In one summer, he counted 37 stings himself. Bears, displaced, fatigued, and sometimes injured, remain outside the perimeter of the fire as they search for food, often in the form of a firefighter’s lunch sack. As firefighters traverse on foot toward the fire line, mosquitoes are a near constant whine, and among the litany of precautions a person takes every day, they’ll also be checking for ticks each night.  

Uncertainty as Wildfire Season Approaches 

With recent layoffs across multiple federal agencies, there might be fewer boots on the ground facing those hazards as the summer progresses. For instance the return of Incident Management Team staff meteorologists—team members supplied by the NOAA who are essential to fighting fire—may also be in jeopardy. The meteorologists work closely alongside the DNR and other agencies to give accurate predictions of when fire season might start and how the weather will influence a fire incident.  

“We don’t know what the status of these employees are going to be during this round of layoffs,” Rodruck says. It’s these “small, downstream-type effects,” that will ultimately determine how well agencies are able to fight fires this summer. What will those downstream effects mean for our public lands? According to Rodruck, it’s too early to tell.  

Stenbeck, along with others on his team, will be preparing for the 2025 fire season with the mentality that it isn’t a sprint, but a marathon. “It isn’t a matter of if it starts, but when,” Stenbeck says.  

Will those who are needed make it to the fire line this season? Let’s hope so for the sake of our communities, wildlife and the forests and trails we love. 

Until completing this interview, Bri Loveall had never considered what wildland firefighting looked like. She wishes all firefighting personnel a safe fire season.  

The post Smoke Signals from the Fireline  appeared first on Out There Venture.

The event series kicks off June 4 with the “Hoot Show,” featuring live owls and raptors—plus free ice cream for all attendees. On June 11, the focus will shift to “Butterflies of Northeastern Washington.” The June 18 presentation is titled “Moose, Cougars and Bears, Oh My!” and will be led by experts from the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. The final June event, on June 25, will feature “Best Spokane Area Day Hikes” and once again include free ice cream for attendees.

The first three events (June 4, 11, and 18) will take place at the Bowl & Pitcher’s outdoor amphitheater, and the June 25 event will be held at the Riverside State Park picnic shelter.

All events are free, but attendees must have a Washington Discover Pass for parking within Riverside State Park.

The post Wednesdays in the Woods: Free Summer Events at Riverside State Park, Spokane WA appeared first on Out There Venture.

Cover photo courtesy of Ammi Midstokke

• There are several Discover Pass fee-free days coming up! Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife is holding a Free Fishing Weekend on June 7 and 8, where neither a fishing license nor a Discover Pass will be necessary to give fishing a try on our region’s waterways. All catch rules will still apply, so research gear and limits before you go. (Idaho will be hosting its own Free Fishing Day on June 14.) June 19 and Aug. 9 are also Discover Pass fee-free days on Washington’s public lands, where parking fees are not required at State Parks.  

• June marks the return of Wednesdays in the Woods with Riverside State Park Foundation. The “Hoot Show” will start the series on June 4 with both live owls and raptors, plus free ice cream. June 11 will focus on “Butterflies of Northeastern Washington.” June 18 will feature “Moose, Cougars and Bears, Oh My!” with Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. June 25 will focus on “Best Spokane Area Day Hikes” and will again include free ice cream for attendees. The first three events will take place at Bowl & Pitcher’s outdoor amphitheater, and the final event will be at the picnic shelter. Discover Pass required for parking.  

• National Trails Day is on June 7. The Friends of Palisades is hosting a geology-focused hike through Palisades Park, with advance registration required. Dishman Hills Conservancy will mark the occasion with hikes guided by Washington State Naturalists within the Dishman Hills Natural Area from Camp Caro. The hikes will begin every 30 minutes, starting at 10:30 a.m. and concluding at 2:30 p.m. with no advance registration required, so an adventurous hiker could join both outings for maximum trail time on this day celebrating trails!  

• Friends of Scotchman Peaks Wilderness free summer hike series includes a hike at Settlers Grove followed by a visit to the Sprag Pole Museum (June 12), a hike with a whitebark pine specialist on Scotchman Peak (June 14), a backpack trip to Little Spar Lake (July 11-12), two “Hike and Read” events co-hosted by Lincoln County Library (July 18 and 25), and more! See the FSPW for full details and to register for events. 
  
  

Outdoor Culture & History Events 

This year marks the bicentennial of Fort Colville on the Columbia River just west of Kettle Falls, with several events planned throughout the year to mark the occasion. On June 20 the organizers have coordinated with the Colville Confederated Tribes to observe the Salmon Ceremony. Event carpooling meets at the Kettle Falls Historical Center at 9 a.m. Additionally, June 21 and 22 will be a Native Culture Weekend at the Kettle Falls Historical Center with history displays and presentations. 

Fundraisers & Contests 

• Okanogan Highlands Alliance will host its annual fundraiser Get Lost Trail Race at Lost Lake on July 13. There will be a service project the day before the event, with optional camping at Lost Lake Campground. This CCC-built campground is by itself worth the visit, and the race has distance options at 3 miles, 7 miles, and 11 miles to take in the views on the surrounding trails. 

• Plan a visit to Teanaway Community Forest this summer and capture photos for the annual photo contest, with the entry portal opening up in August. There will be five total categories with individual prizes, plus a grand prize. Teanaway Community Forest has several DNR campgrounds which are first-come, first-served with Discover Pass as the only fee, along with miles of trails. Follow Teanaway Community Forest on Facebook for additional details. 

Stewardship, Conservation, & Volunteer Opportunities 

• Inland Northwest Land Conservancy will be hosting bi-weekly “Waikiki Wednesdays” and “Glen Tana Thursdays” throughout much of the summer season. Keep in mind that Glen Tana is not yet open to the public, so joining a stewardship project is the best way to get a sneak peek at this fantastic future park, along with helping to make improvements to the property. See the INLC website to sign up.  

• Chelan Douglas Land Trust is hosting Weed Warrior Wednesdays in early June to tackle noxious weeds growing around Lower Sleepy Hollow. The group will meet in the morning on June 4 and will host both a morning and an evening session on June 11. Advance registration required.  

• On June 12, join Kaniksu Land Trust and Friends of Scotchman Peaks Wilderness for an “Intro to Trail Work” evening work party at Pine Street Woods. Advance registration is required. Additional trail maintenance projects with the Friends of Scotchman Peaks Wilderness will take place throughout the summer, so be sure to check the website for the full list.  

• Backcountry Hunters and Anglers is teaming up with Idaho Trails Association for a weekend of trail work on the Fault Lake Trail in the Idaho Selkirks, July 25-27. Additionally, ITA will be teaming up with Friends of the Great Burn Wilderness to host trail work events on the Idaho Centennial Trail (on the Idaho/Montana divide) from Aug. 3-9. ITA has additional fantastic offerings throughout the state, so check the website for more. 

• Washington Trails Association will be hosting both day-long trail work at Mica Peak Conservation Area plus weekend backpacking trail work projects in the Colville National Forest. Highlights include trips to the Salmo Loop and Shedroof Divide within the Salmo Priest Wilderness. See WTA’s website for the full list and to sign up.  

The post The Trailhead: Inland NW Trail & Outdoor News — Your Guide to Outdoor Adventures in the Inland Northwest appeared first on Out There Venture.

One of the most incredible things about living in the Spokane area is the diversity of public lands, trails and wildlife habitat around the city that have been preserved for the future. One of the largest and closest of those urban wild areas—the Dishman Hills—offers miles of trails and a wilderness-like escape from our busy everyday lives, just minutes from downtown Spokane and Spokane Valley. This summer, prioritize some time getting to know this special place on your own or on a group hike or other event hosted by the natural area’s local grassroots advocate, the Dishman Hills Conservancy.

Click here or scroll down for the list of upcoming DHC summer events!

A Natural Haven Within City Limits

Rising up from the valley between the South Hill and Spokane Valley, the Dishman Hills Natural Area offers forest-covered hills and mountain-top views with dramatic basalt cliffs, streams and ponds that serve as a sanctuary for diverse bird and wildlife species, and miles of serene, flowy trails. Spanning over 3,200 acres, these protected public lands are jointly managed by the Dishman Hills Conservancy (DHC), Spokane County Parks and the Washington Department of Natural Resources.

This extensive urban wild area is made up of three distinct zones of public land: Dishman Hills Natural Area, Glenrose and Iller Creek. Together they feature over 20 miles of trails and multiple trailheads with many trails open to both hikers and mountain bikers and others designated for hiking or trail running only. With options ranging from peaceful strolls to challenging climbs, the Dishman Hills offers an urban escape for everyone from Strava-tracking mountain bikers to solitary bird watchers and strolling families.

Much of the lands people refer to as “the Dishman Hills” or “Iller Creek” are protected from development and open to the public, but there are also numerous privately-owned homes and undeveloped parcels throughout the area. This means trail users need to take care to stay on designated public trails and avoid trespassing on private lands. This mix of land ownerships is also a reminder of the ongoing opportunities for future generations of hikers, mountain bikers, trail runners and rock climbers like you to not only explore and appreciate the Dishman Hills but also support the efforts of the non-profit Dishman Hills Conservancy to work with willing private land owners to protect additional properties for wildlife and future public access. Collaboration and public involvement are key to connecting and preserving enough of the Hills for wildlife and future generations.

Discover Nature’s Diversity

Dishman Hills is a local treasure trove of wildlife and natural wonder. The Iller Creek Conservation Area alone supports over 200 species of birds, insects, snakes, amphibians and mammals. This unique wildlife diversity means easy access to view a range of wildlife from porcupines, deer and raptors such as eagles and hawks to larger animals like elk, black bear and moose, a rare experience so close to a city.

The plant life is equally diverse. In the spring and early summer, wildflowers and blooming shrubs like arrowleaf balsamroot, shooting star, serviceberry and syringa paint the hillsides. This ecological richness makes the Dishman Hills both a peaceful retreat and an outdoor classroom where you can learn about native plants and ecosystems.

Protecting the Dishman Hills for Future Generations

The wild forests and trails we all benefit from today wouldn’t exist without the efforts of local residents who were passionate about protecting this unique place. Many of them joined together to create the Dishman Hills Conservancy—Washington State’s oldest land trust—which was founded in 1966 to permanently protect the Dishman Hills and connect people to nature through conservation, education and outdoor recreation. Today, that work is more relevant and important than ever as the Spokane area grows and urban development increasingly replaces once-wild natural areas and encroaches on protected areas.

Photo: Joan Rodman

Hike, Learn & Connect with the Dishman Hills Conservancy this Summer

This summer DHC is offering group hikes and other events designed to help you get to know the Dishman Hills. Outings are welcoming to newcomers, engaging for families and are an opportunity for you to deepen your connection with nature and like-minded outdoor enthusiasts. Get out for some exercise and fresh air while exploring and learning about this special place and the important conservation work of the Dishman Hills Conservancy.

Summer 2025 Dishman Hills Events & Outings:

All events and outings are open to the public but pre-registration is often required. Check out the DHC events page for current event info and to register here: Dishmanhills.org/Events

Open House in the Hills
Saturday, August 9, 9 AM-12 PM
Come learn about the Dishman Hills and the important conservation work of the Dishman Hills Conservancy while meeting other like-minded hikers and nature lovers.

Cougars, Bears, and Moose, Oh My!
Thursday, August 21, 6-7:30 PM
Join DHC at the Spokane Valley Library for a presentation from local wildlife biologist Matt Brinkman. Learn how to stay safe around wildlife like moose, cougars and bears while exploring the areas we share with them. Brinkman will show a slide presentation covering the behavior of cougars, bears, and moose and will also have some skulls, scat models and pelts to show. After the presentation, don’t miss a bear spray demonstration outside.  

Dishman Hills Conservancy Meet-up at Steady Flow Growler House
Saturday, August 23, 12-6 PM
Stop by Steady Flow Growler House in Spokane Valley to learn about the latest developments with Dishman Hills Conservancy.

Wild at Heart Fundraiser Dinner
Saturday, September 27
Save the date for the Dishman Hills Conservancy’s annual fundraiser dinner at Center Place Event Center in Spokane Valley! Enjoy a great meal, hear about the latest developments with DHC, meet other members and supports, and listen to guest speaker Rob Curley, editor of The Spokesman Review.

How to Get Involved with the Dishman Hills Conservancy

The future of the Dishman Hills and work of the Dishman Hills Conservancy depends on the next generation to get involved. There are many opportunities to to be a part of DHC’s work that includes land acquisition, trail construction and maintenance, habitat restoration and putting on educational programs like Kids in the Hills, which introduces local youth to ecology and outdoor discovery.

Getting involved is easy—and meaningful. Here’s how you can make a difference:

• Become a Member: A $50 annual donation gets you member benefits, including newsletters, special event invites and the satisfaction that you’re helping protect a cherished community natural area.

• Volunteer Your Time: Trail work, event support, and educational outreach all need helping hands. Whether it’s a one-time effort or a long-term commitment, your time goes a long way.

• Stay in the Loop: Sign up for DHC email newsletter and follow along on social media to stay informed about new trail openings, events and conservation successes.

Dishman Hills is more than just a beautiful place to hike. It’s a powerful example of how communities can come together to protect nature close to home. Lace up your boots or biking shoes and take a walk or ride in Spokane’s urban wilds. Then become a DHC member, attend an event or sign up to volunteer. The Dishman Hills Conservancy has made it easy to fall in love with this special place—and to help protect it for future generations.

The post Explore the Dishman Hills Summer 2025—Spokane’s Urban Wilds appeared first on Out There Venture.

By Bri Loveall 

Cover photo courtesy of The Great Burn Conservation Alliance

Last spring, my family and I made our first camping trip of the season to the Lolo National Forest. At our campsite, bearberry grew in thick, low-growing clumps. A well-worn deer trail led us to the bank of the Clark Fork River, where thoracic bones, bleached white, lay half-buried and hidden in the sand. In the mornings, before my children could begin their early chants for pancakes and cereal and muffins, I’d find a rock or some other semi-leveled area, and, coffee in hand, just sit. Ice floes the size of hubcaps made the occasional crack, or pop, proof that they were warming, splitting, becoming accustomed to the idea of spring. Although I was only two and a half hours from the city, I felt as far away as I’d ever been.  

The Lolo National Forest made up a sizable portion of the two-day, three-million-acre wildfire known as The Great Fire of 1910 or the Big Burn. (For size comparison, the 2014 Carlton Complex Fire in the northeast Cascades burned 256,108 acres over the course of two months.) The combination of severe drought in 1910 and a series of lightning storms created hundreds of small fires that, when met with hurricane-like winds, turned into the most destructive wildfire the U.S. has ever seen.  

For decades, the fire-ravaged land sat relatively unused. No longer a viable market for timber, it gave the landscape an opportunity to heal on its own without interference from resource extraction or other commercial development. Drawn to that forgotten wilderness, in the summer of 1971 a University of Montana student named Dale Harris bought a school bus and, with friends in tow, completed a three-week backpacking trip into the Great Burn landscape to document and research the place. Harris fell in love with the crystal-clear lakes and open ridgelines of the vast wild area. From his work, The Great Burn Conservation Alliance (GBCA) was born.   

Giving Wildlife the Room to Roam 

If you’ve spent any time recreating around the Lolo, Idaho Panhandle, Clearwater and other Inland Northwest national forests, you may have spent time inside or near the edges of the Big Burn and its 1.9 million acres of largely roadless wildlands. The area is home to a complex ecological network of plant and animal life. Rare and sensitive species like black-beaked woodpeckers, gray wolf, bull trout, Canada Lynx, wolverine, and grizzly bears all make use of the landscape’s alpine lakes and streams, dense high-mountain forests, and open meadows for daily living and movement between habitats.  

Joelle Gallaugher, stewardship coordinator for the GBCA, patrols upward of 700 miles a year (on foot) throughout the vast Great Burn landscape, monitoring trail conditions, campsites, coordinating with the forest service, and leading stewardship trips where crews work together to complete restoration projects. This job, Gallaugher says, requires an ongoing and intimate knowledge of the land. Animals like the Clearwater elk herds require land connectivity for their seasonal movements between different habitats, seeking out the higher mountain regions during summer and lower open meadows in winter. Even plants like the stark-white trilliums and bold, wild hyacinth require pollination and seed dispersal over large undisturbed areas in order to thrive.   

All forms of recreation have impacts on the land, but some have more than others, requiring more diligent management. “I do see a difference in how wildlife moves through the area,” Gallaugher tells me. For instance, mechanized use like snowmobiles, ATVs, and other ORVs can disrupt wildlife movement and native plant communities more than human-powered activities. A perfect example is the Mallard Larkins Pioneer Area, she says. Gallaugher recently surveyed the area, which is not open to motorized use. She and her team found a healthy and diverse ecosystem with no noxious weeds. Across the road, however, a spot open to vehicular use was inundated with spotted knapweed, St. John’s Wort, and other invasive plants.  

The take-home message is that when animal and plant communities have enough room and resources, without too many human-caused impacts, native plants and animals and natural processes can more easily flourish, making those roadless wild areas and the lands that connect them all the more valuable.  

The Connection Between People and Place 

U.S. public lands have seen a huge uptick in the number of recreational visitors since the pandemic, and according to Gallagher, here in the Inland Northwest, the I-90 corridor is especially susceptible to heavy use. Add to that a decrease in forest service staff dedicated to trail and facility maintenance, impact monitoring and law enforcement, and some of the surrounding lands have begun to suffer. 

Melanie Vining, executive director of Idaho Trails Association, echoed these sentiments, saying that in areas as remote and undeveloped as the Great Burn, it doesn’t take very many people to have an impact on the land. “Even when people love the land, they still have an impact on it, whether that’s positive or negative,” Vining says.  

Gallaugher and I discussed how recreating responsibly might look different depending on where you are and what you’re doing, as well as the importance of always doing your best to limit your impacts on the land when out enjoying it, whether you’re backpacking, riding a dirt bike, or driving to a trailhead. With the advocacy and stewardship work that the GBCA provides, as well as several highly recommended hikes the area has to offer, there are many ways to explore and learn to love the proposed Great Burn Wilderness Area.  

Getting Out in the Great Burn  

Gallaugher hopes to see more volunteers getting out into the Great Burn via trail work crews and stewardship trips to prepare the land and trails to handle the ever-increasing number of visitors.  

“Our stewardship trips are a great way to get involved. Activities on these volunteer trips range from trail maintenance, trail clearing, campsite impact monitoring, weed pulling, vegetation monitoring, and wildlife surveys,” she says. Throughout the trip, members of the GBCA act as guides to the land, teaching history, stewardship practices, educating about invasive plants and animals, and talking about responsible recreation.  

“Ecosystems are complex,” Vining says, “but you don’t have to be a scientist in order to learn about them.” Sometimes, it’s about doing good old-fashioned research, or learning about the interconnectedness of the land to fully appreciate and want to protect it. 

There is an important sense of ownership that comes from volunteering out in the wilds. Whether that’s through trail work or restoration projects, take the opportunity to draw a connection between yourself and the wild world around you. It is in knowing and attempting to understand a place that we begin to care for it. 

Bri Loveall is eager to go spring camping in the woods again. She is also planning to attend a GBCA stewardship project this summer.  

Check out the latest news from GBCA here.

The post After the Burn  appeared first on Out There Venture.

In the Inland Northwest, we are fortunate to have natural spaces and regional nonprofits like The Lands Council (TLC) dedicated to protecting them. For 40 years, TLC has championed conservation through education and hands-on programs, playing a vital role in public lands management. By collaborating with timber companies, county commissioners, and recreationists, TLC has helped improve forest health, protect fire-tolerant trees, and advocate for the preservation of pristine forests. 

TLC’s work extends beyond advocacy to public education and outdoor experiential learning, empowering people from all walks of life to find their personal connection and love for the outdoors so they may join us in protecting the spaces we all care about.  

However, sustaining all of these efforts requires community support. Financial contributions and volunteer involvement are crucial for nonprofits like TLC to continue their mission, and we need your help today so we can continue to protect the Inland Northwest tomorrow. Public lands are a shared resource, and protecting them demands collective action. Join us in safeguarding these invaluable spaces for future generations. Get involved and support The Lands Council at Landscouncil.org/join. 

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Cover photo courtesy of Olivia Dugenet

By Olivia Dugenet 

“Caprice” was a 25-foot boat with a cockpit, engine room and just enough space to sleep Muriel Wylie Blanchet and her five children. They spent entire summers on “Caprice” back in the 1920s and ‘30s, exploring the waters and wild shores of British Columbia. 

Blanchet’s book “The Curve of Time” has become a classic adventure/travel memoir. A widow and independent woman exploring the wild world alone with five children in the early part of the century—this took a sort of subversiveness that shines in her writing. She was both stern and playful, adventuring like a wild young spirit herself while also taking up the role of serious leader and parent. Her stories show how she simultaneously learned from and taught her children how to understand the world.  

These five core outdoor parenting ideas embedded within the book offer valuable insights: 

1. Everyone contributes. Even young children had real responsibilities, and life on “Caprice” depended on everyone pitching in. While older kids were reading charts, watching the compass and scanning for reefs, the youngest boy was given a whistle to blow in the heavy fog—sounding for echoes and helping steer clear of cliffs.  

2. Courage coexists alongside vulnerability. They didn’t seek out adventure or aim to conquer anything, and they intentionally practiced what the explorers of old called “exercising due care.” Still, adventure found them. They encountered bears and cougars, near falls, near crashes, extreme cold and dangerous rapids. After one particularly challenging moment, one of the older children said, “You were scared, too, weren’t you, mummy?” Neither denying her fear nor giving in to it, Blanchet winked at him. “Weren’t we sillies!” she said.  
    

3. Everyone plays. Blanchet took youthful delight in having fun. She rocketed down slippery granite slides with her kids and splashed into crystal lukewarm pools—this is how they took baths and washed their clothes.  
    

4. Curiosity is a virtue. For Blanchet and her children, the world was a fascinating place full of mystery and discovery. The group regularly paused, pivoted, or changed plans to follow the thread of someone’s curiosity. When they found some strange new wonder, they explored it, wrote about it in their journals, and looked it up in the Encyclopedia Brittanica when they returned home in the fall.  
    

5. Community is important. On their travels, Blanchet and her children met people from all backgrounds and perspectives, built lasting friendships, learned to ask for help when necessary, and gave help whenever they could.   
    

6. Ponder big ideas. As suggested by the book’s title, Blanchet studied theories about time and other complex ideas. She continually sought wisdom and understanding, bringing depth and beauty to her life and writing. 

These ideas are woven through my own experience of parenting in the outdoors. I let the kids make and break camp in the backcountry, even when they pitch the tents a little crooked or don’t pack up precisely the way I showed them. If they take their inflatable sleeping pads into an alpine lake, I am more likely to join them for a float than to scold. So long as the kids show they’re practicing required safety strategies, I let them get out ahead of me and lead, even when it makes me nervous. We talk about how being outdoors away from devices changes our experience of time and being in the world, and we carry those conversations back to the city and into our everyday lives. Blanchet’s stories showed me, years before I even became a mom, how time spent together outside fosters wisdom and strong connections between children, their parents, and the wider world. // 

Olivia Dugenet is a Spokane writer and mom who has learned a lot from exploring the outdoors with her children. She and her teenagers are excited to backpack routes in Washington and Canada this summer. 

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