Mount Spokane State Park is a public recreation area in the northwest

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

,located in the Selkirk Mountains, northeast of the city of

Spokane Spokane ( ) is the largest city and county seat of Spokane County, Washington, United States. It is in eastern Washington, along the Spokane River, adjacent to the Selkirk Mountains, and west of the Rocky Mountain foothills, south of the Ca ...

Washington Washington commonly refers to: * Washington (state), United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A metonym for the federal government of the United States ** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered o ...

. The state park surrounds

Mount Spokane Mount Spokane levation ��previously known as Mount Baldy until 1912 due to its pronounced bald spot—is a mountain in the Pacific Northwest, northwest United States, located northeast of Spokane, Washington, Spokane, Washington (state), Was ...

and other peaks including Mount Kit Carson, Beauty Mountain, and Quartz Mountain. The park receives of snow annually and is home to Mount Spokane Ski and Snowboard Park as well as an extensive system of trails for hiking, biking, and horseback riding. As of 2018,

Washington State Parks The Washington State Park System is a set of State park, state parks owned by the state government of Washington (state), Washington, United States, USA. They are managed by the Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission. There are over 140 ...

reported its acreage as , making it Washington's largest state park, slightly ahead of Riverside State Park () which lies 23 miles to the southwest. Mt Spokane ridgeline 20070106

History

The park was dedicated with 1500 acres in 1927. During the 1930s, workers with the

Civilian Conservation Corps The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) was a voluntary government work relief program that ran from 1933 to 1942 in the United States for unemployed, unmarried men ages 18–25 and eventually expanded to ages 17–28. The CCC was a major part of ...

(CCC) planted grass, constructed picnicking and parking areas, constructed trails and shelters, and improved roads.

Vista House

Vista House was designed by architect, H. C. Bertelsen, as was the caretaker's cabin, although an earlier design for Vista House had been prepared by state park architect Charles Saunders. The caretaker's cabin was built by Elmer Highberg. Some sources state that Vista House was built by the CCC. However, according to the State of Washington's ''Cultural Resources Management Plan'' (2009), a local contractor, E.O. Fieldstad, won the contract with a "low bid of $4,693," and built Vista House. The publication states: "Its existence near the site of the Mount Spokane CCC camp may have contributed to the present impression held by many that the Vista House was constructed by the CCC."

Timeline

Activities and amenities

The park has of trails for hiking, biking, and horseback riding. Trails range from easy (the Burping Brook Loop) to difficult (the ‘Round the Mountain Trail). Winter activities include downhill and cross-country skiing, snowmobiling and snowshoeing. Camping and picnicking are also available. Bald Knob campground is generally open from May to September. There are 7 primary trail-heads to park at from Bear Creek Lodge right before the entrance of the park to the summit parking and vista house. During the winter a Sno-park permit is required at both the Lower Selkirk Sno-Park Parking Lot and the Upper Selkirk Lodge Sno-Park Parking Lot.

Rules of the Park

For vehicles to enter the park a Discover Pass is required. The exceptions to this regulation include the following: when camping or renting accommodations, being registered as a disabled veteran or state park pass holder, and having a disabled parking permit registered by the state. The park is a participant of the pack-it-in/pack-it-out program, therefore all visitors are required to pack out whatever was brought in with them. Horses are only allowed in designated areas and all other pets are required to be on a leash. The feeding and/or harm of any wildlife is prohibited.

References

External links

Mount Spokane State Park
Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission
Mount Spokane State Park Map
Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission
Friends of Mt. Spokane State Park
{{authority control State parks of Washington (state) Parks in Spokane County, Washington Geography of Spokane, Washington Civilian Conservation Corps in Washington (state)