To spend time outdoors as a volunteer on public lands and trails is a healthy, family-friendly activity for all.

Recently, while hiking at the Waikiki Springs Nature Preserve, located northwest Spokane County, my son asked, “Can I lead the way today?” My family was starting down the Waikiki Trail towards the first switchback. I noticed the darkened Oregon grapes on the trailside and the browning of the once-gorgeous oceanspray bushes as I followed behind.

Rounding the second switchback, we could hear the sound of the water and the trail began to open up a bit. We said hello to the few walkers we saw out for evening strolls with their dogs and took in the view at the next switchback that stretches out beyond the river to Rattlesnake Ridge. I love to hike in the evening.

Land Stewards

My family recently became volunteer land stewards for the Inland Northwest Land Conservancy (INLC). In this new role, we are able to spend time together as a family, exercising and breathing fresh air as we look after a place we love, Waikiki Springs Nature Preserve. As land stewards for the INLC, we help to design and complete habitat enhancement projects, monitor trails, educate public land users and note wildlife vegetation and hydrologic trends on the land.

We have always spent time hiking at Waikiki Springs, but since becoming stewards we are spending time learning more about the area—the plants, the animals, the Little Spokane River that runs through it, and how we can take better care of it all.

We are getting better at using maps, observing and taking notes, using a compass and basic first aid practices. We are learning and practicing good trail etiquette, the effects of not following these rules, and sharing it with others. We are experiencing what it feels like to be active in our community and to think and act beyond ourselves and see the bigger picture.

A lesson we didn’t expect but I have grown increasingly appreciative of is to be intentional with our time. Now we schedule our busy lives around our commitment to this place. In a fast-paced world where we tend to put self care and mental health on the back burner, I am happy to have found something that checks so many boxes on the health and fitness list.

If you are anything like me, when someone says “health and fitness” images of gym memberships, health magazines, and the latest diet fad runs through your mind. I say let the outdoors be your gym and allow your time exercising to be for more than just your body. As a parent, I am happy to have the opportunity to model all of these life lessons by exploring an amazing place with my kids.

Volunteer Opportunities in the Inland NW

In the Inland Northwest, there are a number of organizations with volunteer opportunities to shape your outdoor fitness regime. Groups include: The Lands Council, The Spokane Riverkeeper, Dishman Hills Conservancy, Friends of The Little Spokane River Valley, Washington Trails Association, Friends of the Bluff, Evergreen East, Idaho Trails Association, and Pend Oreille Pedalers.

Many parks also have “friends of” groups with more opportunities. All of these organizations offer events such as clean ups, plantings, trail work, and more. Spokane Humane Society and PAWS need dog walkers, and Habitat for Humanity offers several construction and labor opportunities.

Whether you’re looking for just yourself or your whole family, for occasional events or a bigger commitment, there is something for everyone. Look for volunteer opportunities with organizations you are interested in and redefine what health and fitness mean to you.

Alana Livingston gets to hike as part of her work as the owner of Wander Spokane, a downtown tour business. She wrote about wandering Spokane’s urban wilds in the May/June 2022 issue.

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In fall of 2020, thanks to the taxpayers of Washington State, Inland Northwest Land Conservancy purchased the Waikiki Springs Nature Preserve, 95 acres of shoreline on the Little Spokane River. While some trail users had been trespassing unwittingly in the area for years, the Conservancy’s purchase of the property opens it to public use and enjoyment in perpetuity.

Over the last year, volunteers have been working hard to restore native ecology to the area with noxious weed removal, forest health projects, and volunteers monitoring the wildlife, plants, and trail usage in the area.

In August, the Spokane Tribe of Indians released 51 Chinook Salmon into the Little Spokane River. This educational release gave the community a chance to learn about traditional salmon runs that existed over a hundred years ago, before the installation of Little Falls Dam, and has allowed tribal biologists to study the fish’s movement and behavior in this once native watershed.

In addition to this, hard-working volunteers dug into the hillside to build a beautiful, sustainable trail that can be enjoyed for years to come. The Aster Trail is now officially open, with Eagle and Granite Loop trails under construction, to be completed in 2022.

Visit InlandNWLand.org for a map and more information about this beautiful multi-use trail system.

Find stories about other regional conservation areas and nature preserves in the OTO archives.

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On December 1, if you snowshoe or Nordic ski at any non-motorized Snow-Park in Washington, you will need a permit. Season-long Sno-Park permits go on sale in November (available online or in local outfitter stores).

Washington’s Sno-Park permit fees increased this year: One-Day Sno-Park Permit costs $25; Seasonal Permit is $50; and the Special-Groomed Trail Permit has risen to $70. The groomed trail permit is an add-on to the season-long permit (also referred to as a grooming sticker) and is required at Mount Spokane’s Selkirk Lodge Nordic ski area parking lot, among other areas. 

The Sno-Park fee helps cover the cost of snow removal in parking lots accessed by winter recreational users.

Idaho Park N’ Ski Permits

Idaho operates a Park N’ Ski permit system for its 17 plowed winter parking lots for cross-country skiers and snowshoers, with fees going into effect on November 15. The permits are $7.50 for a three-day pass or $25 for the annual pass. Idaho has a reciprocity agreement with Oregon’s Sno-Park system too.   

New Trailhead & Trail at Antoine Peak

Spokane County’s newest conservation area trailhead and trail addition, Trentwood Trailhead to Etter Ranch (the soon-to-be southernmost access point to the Antoine Peak trail system), is now open.

You can also access the new Etter Ranch trail from one of the existing Antoine Peak Conservation Area trailheads. The new trail connects to the southeast side of the Emerald Necklace Trail. 

Waikiki Springs Trail Improvements

The Inland Northwest Land Conservancy has been making recreational trail improvements to its Waikiki Springs property, located in northwest Spokane County, both to improve the on-trail experience and also to reduce environmental and wildlife impacts.

The first new loop trail is now ready for hikers to enjoy just across the bridge over the Little Spokane River. Follow the newly installed trail signage. 

Check Out Snowshoes from the Library

Want to try snowshoeing before purchasing equipment? The Spokane Public Library keeps a selection of various snowshoe sizes in their “Library of Things,” available for check-out with your library card. (Editor’s Note: Some other public libraries, including at community colleges, also offer a Library of Things collection for check-out.)

Fee-free Days Coming Up

If you don’t have a Washington State Discover Pass, check the calendar of fee-free days at Washington State Parks, and plan accordingly for your next visit. This is a great way for out-of-state visitors to enjoy a complimentary visit to one of Washington States many states, including the two largest ones, Riverside and Mount Spokane State Parks, both located in Spokane County.

If you already have a Discover Pass, invite your friends or family who don’t yet have a Discover Pass to join you for a hike or bike ride. Find the 2022 calendar of Discover Pass Free Days at parks.state.wa.us. January 1 and 17, 2022, are the first out of 12 free days.

U.S. National Park Service also offers free entrance days, starting with Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.

Holly Weiler is a long-time contributor to Out There Venture.  

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During this field day from 9 a.m.-2 p.m. volunteers will help collect biological information including plant species identification, wildlife data collection, soil sampling, and forest canopy analysis. No experience is necessary. INLC staff and group leaders will provide the tools and resources volunteers will need. 

Visit Inlandnwland.org for more information and to sign up.

Learn more about the Waikiki Springs area in this story from the OTO archives.

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