The recent round of nominations for Spokane County Park’s Conservation Futures program additions received eight applicants. A public meeting to present the nominations and discuss the process for determining which of the properties was held via Zoom on September 9th. Find updates, see survey results, and the latest news about Conservation Futures at Spokanecounty.org.

National Public Lands Day

Get outside and play (for free!) on National Public Lands Day, September 25! Discover Passes will not be required for day-use at Washington State Parks, Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife lands, and Department of Natural Resources lands all day.

Sept. 25 is also a National Parks fee-free day and a good time to plan a road trip to Mount Rainier or Glacier National Park.

Public Comments Sought on Fees & Rec Site Changes

The Colville National Forest is considering some fee additions and increases at several recreation sites across the 1.1-million acre northeast Washington forest. The complete list of locations and public comment information is available through September 30 on the agency’s website.

Some notable highlights include a proposal to include the recently restored Salmo Mountain Fire Lookout on the cabin rental reservation system, as well as the Frater Lake warming cabin.

Run for the Woods

The Kaniksu Land Trust will be hosting a fall fundraiser trail run event at Pine Street Woods in Sandpoint on October 9. All of the event proceeds from this first Run for the Woods will benefit the trust, so come run for a good cause!  

Volunteer Trail Projects

Lend a hand on one of these upcoming trail projects. If you can’t make it, remember to check out these refurbished trails once they are finished:

• Idaho Trails Association will be hosting project days in North Idaho this fall, including at Parker Ridge and Chimney Rock (Idahotrailsassocation.org).
• Washington Trails Association will be continuing work on Mount Spokane projects through September, then transitioning to trail improvements within Spokane County Parks. Look for a fall grand opening to the new trailhead and trail at Etter Ranch at the south end of Antoine Peak. Other project sites include Hauser Conservation Area and Slavin Ranch (Wta.org).
• Friends of Scotchman Peak Wilderness will be hosting a National Public Lands Day project at Goat Mountain on September 25 (Scotchmanpeaks.org).
• Evergreen East Mountain Bike Alliance is continuing work on the new trail 290 at Mount Spokane with approximately 0.5 mile remaining. Once snow returns, the focus will turn to a reroute of one of the steepest sections of the Edith Hansen Trail at Liberty Lake Regional Park (Evergreeneast.org).
• Blue Mountains Land Trust will be hosting a weekend project at Camp Wooten State Park with camping and meals included for a nominal fee, September 24-26 (Bmlt.org).

Holly Weiler is a long-time contributor to Out There Venture who plans to spend her fall finding gold in the nearby hills (larch season!).

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Recreation visits spike

The data is in, and confirms recreational visits to United States Forest Service lands saw a huge jump in 2020. Dispersed recreation sites and Wilderness Areas saw the largest spike in visitors, with an increase of 25% over the previous year. The information comes from National Visitor Use Monitoring data. Hiking/walking is the top recreational activity, with 48.8% of visitors participating. “Viewing Natural Features” comes in as a close second with 44.4%.

Great American Outdoors Act proposed projects for 2022 announced

In our region, highlights include bridge replacements within the Colville National Forest and funds for addressing deferred maintenance needs on the Elkhorn Crest National Scenic Trail and within the Hells Canyon National Recreation Area.

Spokane County’s Conservation Futures Program accepting property nominations

The most recent round of nominations to Spokane County Park’s Conservation Futures funding program is open through July 31. Properties are currently being nominated for consideration for inclusion in the program. Once the nominations close, a public meeting will be held in early September to gather input on the nominations, which will be ranked by Spokane County Parks’ Land Evaluation Committee later this fall.

Free public hikes in the Scotchman Peaks

Check out the website for Friends of Scotchman Peak Wilderness for their free summer hiking series on “Family Fun in the Forest.” There are several family-friendly hikes in the series in July and August, along with strenuous hike offerings for those looking for a more challenging hike. These hikes are sure to fill up, so register soon!

How to score free access to Washington State Parks

August 25 is a free entry day at all Washington State Parks.

If you or someone you know is on a tight budget, remember that many public libraries also have Discover Passes available for check-out with a library card. Spokane County Library District has 22 “Check out Washington” backpacks available by reservation too. The backpacks include a Discover Pass, binoculars, and several field guides. Patrons may use the pass for seven days of exploration at any Washington State Park.

You can also earn a free one-year Discover Pass through state parks volunteerism: Washington Trails Association, Spokane Nordic Ski Association, and Evergreen East will all be hosting volunteer trailwork events at Mount Spokane State Park this summer.

Find the schedule for upcoming volunteer days at each nonprofit’s website.

Free days at Glacier National Park

Two fee-free days are planned in August at Glacier National Park. The first is August 4, the one year anniversary of the Great American Outdoors Act, and the second is August 25, the National Park Service birthday.

Holly Weiler writes The Trailhead column in each issue of Out There. During July and August she will be splitting her time between the garden and wilderness as she leads trail work crews into the Salmo Priest for Washington Trails Association.

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In July and August, you’ll see native wildflowers flush the area with hues of white, blue, purple, and yellow. Look for yarrow, bachelor’s buttons, wavy-leaf thistles, goldenrod, and more this time of year.

This is a great place to stroll with kids or babies strapped to your back, as the elevation gain is mild and there are several out-and-back or short loop options. Dogs should remain on leash, since this area is home to waterfowl and songbirds that frequent the small lake at the center of this trail’s loop. Equestrian riders are also common.

What I enjoy most about this hike is its “best of both worlds” feeling. Half of the time I’m wandering through a singletrack wooded trail, looking close at the plants and flowers with a peek of the lake every now and then; the other half I’m strolling an open meadow, where the clouds take precedence and you can soak in the seasonal color palette at large. It’s a place that inspires deep breathing.

Take the full 3-mile loop around the lake to experience both trail types. Seasonal trail closure occurs in the northwest corner due to flooding. In upcoming months, grasses will turn taupe and gold for a beautiful morning or sunset hike.

Visit Spokanecounty.org for a trail map and list of the 121 species of birds that find habitat here.

To learn about some of the other best hiking trails and destinations throughout the Inland Northwest, visit the OTO archives.

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When your boots crunch through the dirt, or your tires race over a technical section of trail, or you catch a glimpse of an eagle in the trees, do you wonder how that land is available for your enjoyment? As recreationists, it’s all too common that we take land for granted—thinking it has always been, and always will be, available for our use. 

Think of areas like the Little Spokane River, Beacon Hill, Liberty Lake Regional Park, Palisades Park, Iller Creek, and Saltese Uplands. What do these local areas have in common?

Besides providing beautiful destinations for enjoyment of the outdoors, they are all home to pieces of land that experienced widespread use before they were open to the public. In recent years, securing public access in commonly used but privately owned areas has gotten a lot of attention with projects like “Make Beacon Public.” 

Organizations like Evergreen East, Spokane County, Washington State Parks, and other entities work hard to protect places that have become meaningful to our recreation community. One of the unsung heroes of this work is Inland Northwest Land Conservancy. INLC has worked to bring about land deals that protect things like the cedar forest on the Liberty Lake Loop, the kiosk area at the head of the Iller Creek Trail, access to Avista-owned property on Beacon Hill, and most recently, Waikiki Springs Nature Preserve on the Little Spokane River. 

INLC needs your help to raise $500,000 to protect more land that is currently (illegally) being trafficked by well-meaning but likely oblivious recreational users. These fifty-five acres (about 42 football fields) are adjacent to the Saltese Uplands Conservation Area, where usage has increased 48% over the past two years, reflecting rapid residential growth in Spokane Valley and Liberty Lake.

Located on Henry Road, the Uplands are home to dozens of species of birds and native plants. Across the street, Spokane County Environmental Services is restoring the historic wetlands of the Saltese Flats and working on a proposed nature education center nearby. The land to be purchased by INLC and retained for public enjoyment is prime for residential development.

If you’ve ever watched the sunset from the water tower at the top of the hill, or gazed down into the valley at Liberty Lake or at Mica Peak in the distance, you know how that view would change with houses butted up against the hillside. 

Protecting land and water for the health and future of our community, the natural world, and the climate is at the center of INLC’s work. Ensuring that the Inland Northwest remains a beautiful, adventurous, and easily accessible place should be at the center for all of us who love to play outside. 

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Construction of California Creek, the main singletrack trail at Mica Peak Conservation Area, just wrapped up at the end of July 2020 in spite of new complications placed on volunteer projects due to COVID-19. This project has been years in the making, and while the trail has been open and accessible to the public for most of the last year, the much-needed finishing touches are now finally in place—including a completed trailhead and new trail signage. This newest trail in Spokane County is a prime destination for fall exploration. 

Spokane County Parks acquired the initial 910 acres of Conservation Futures land in 2013, with an additional 884 acres added in 2018. The public property starts at 2,800 feet elevation and ascends to 5,100 feet (the summit at 5,200 feet is not part of the Conservation Area property). Since the parking lot sits at 2,725 feet and reaches the conservation area via a trail easement, all routes to Mica Peak include serious elevation gain. It also makes the area fantastic for year-round exploration with a well-maintained road to the trailhead. Fall is a prime season for a visit to take in the seasonal color transitions, but the area is also fun to explore via skis or snowshoes in winter and has fantastic wildflowers from spring into summer. 

The parking lot sits at the end of Belmont Road and just outside the conservation area. Visitors have two choices for a route up from behind the initial gate, both via old logging roads: the route on the left is a conservation easement leading to the county property in 1 mile, whereas the route on the right enters the conservation area via an adjacent Department of Natural Resources (DNR) property. The latter route is recommended since it quickly leads to a singletrack trail and has better views, but visitors can also consider entering one way and exiting via the other option.  

When the DNR trail connects onto Mica Peak Conservation Area, continue up a short hill to the main access road through the property. Continue hiking up the roadbed, passing the powerlines, until reaching the first trail sign for California Creek to the left. The first half mile is a narrow connector road to the main California Creek Trail, which is signed and heads immediately uphill on the right. The views improve with every turn as the California Creek trail winds its way up the south face of Mica. The big, climbing turns allow for sweeping views eastward to Idaho’s Mica Peak, westward into Spokane, and southwest to the Palouse.  

Originally entitled “Mica Peak Conservation Area” in the Hike of hte Month column in the September-October 2020 double issue.

Trip Details

• Round-trip distance: 8.6 miles 
• Rating: Difficult 
• Elevation gain: 1,934 feet 
• Getting there: Take Washington State Route 27 south from Spokane Valley. Turn east on Belmont Road at the town of Mica. Continue on Belmont Road for 4.5 miles to where it dead ends at the parking lot for Mica Peak Conservation Area.

Support Local Trails 

Watch for upcoming opportunities to volunteer on local trails by checking the wta.org volunteer page and sorting to “Eastern Washington” under the region tab. Group size limits are dependent upon current COVID-19 guidelines.  

Holly Weiler loves exploring the trails of the Inland Northwest and helping to build new trails as the Eastern Washington Regional Coordinator for Washington Trails Association.  

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Volunteer efforts are in the works on a new trailhead on the south side of the Dishman Hills, just west of the Rocks of Sharon. The yet-to-be publicly opened Wilson Trailhead, the new gateway to the 137-acre Wilson Conservation Area purchased last fall, will complement the increasingly busy Stevens Creek Trailhead just two miles away. 

Volunteers from the Dishman Hills Conservancy are now working to cleanup and open the property to limited recreational access as soon as possible, with a route to a viewpoint and cabins likely to be opened before the snow flies. Volunteer projects scheduled every week this fall will help with a wide variety of jobs to clean up the area, fix-up existing buildings, and restore habitat. 

Each project will incorporate physical distancing and personal protective equipment. Volunteers will be rewarded with an opportunity to explore the property before it is open to the public and to learn the many stories from the 1900-era cabins to the airplane in the barn.

Registration for work parties is required at DishmanHills.org/events. For more information contact Isobel Smith at Isobel(at)DishmanHills.org.

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I just sent this letter off to City and County officials. I’m ready for the hate mail to pour in. What do you think?:

Dear Director Chase, Commisioner Mager, Commisioner Meilke, Commisioner Richard,

I urge you not to consider using Conservation Futures funds to acquire the YMCA property in Riverfront Park. I am puzzled as to why you would consider using County funds on this matter. The size and recreational value of the land is small, but the cost is huge. How many larger, more deserving, Conservation Futures properties will go un-purchased because of the money used on this parcel? As a member of the recreational and conservation community I think I speak for many when I say I’d trade the YMCA property in a heartbeat for more projects such as Antoine Peak.

I’m also concerned about the opportunity cost to the City Parks Department for purchasing and operating the YMCA. My neighborhood, Peaceful Valley, just completed a park charrette process to take citizen action to improve our parks. Our play equipment is dangerous and our community center in woefully uderfunded. Will the YMCA property make further funds unavailable to us? Will it threaten Joe Albi re-development? Or Iron Bridge? Or the Great Gorge Park? Or a Native American Interpretive Center? Or ongoing Parks and Rec programs in danger of being cut? It’s too high a price to pay. All of the above mentioned projects are more worthy expenditures.

I don’t understand the opposition to a residential tower at the YMCA site. Spokane desperately needs more density. The Tower development wouldn’t threaten views of the falls. The Parks Board has had the opportunity for decades to purchase the property but they declined to do so until the price had appreciated into the stratosphere. Please take careful consideration before you spend County dollars on the YMCA.
Sincerely,

Jon Snyder
Out There Monthly

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