Riverside State Park is a

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 ...

state park located northwest 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 ...

in the community of Nine Mile Falls. The park protects of Okanagan dry forest along the

and Little Spokane rivers. It is the second largest state park in Washington after

Mount Spokane State Park Mount Spokane State Park is a public recreation area in the northwest United States,located in the Selkirk Mountains, northeast of the city of Spokane, Washington. The state park surrounds Mount Spokane and other peaks including Mount Kit C ...

and is a popular

recreation area A recreation area is a type of protected area designated in some jurisdictions. By country Canada In the province of British Columbia, recreation areas are lands set aside for recreational use. These lands are also being evaluated to determine ...

for locals.

History

The park came into being with various gifts of land in 1933 and 1934. It was developed by members of 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 ...

. Evidence of the CCC's work can be seen at the Bowl and Pitcher area's suspension bridge, kitchen shelter, restroom, park residence, office, and maintenance shop. CCC workers also constructed the rock walls and much of the roadway of Aubrey White Parkway, the restroom on the Centennial Trail near the Carlson Trailhead, and various trails in the park.

Features

Areas of the park include the Bowl and Pitcher, the Nine Mile Recreation Area, the Little Spokane River Natural Area, the off-road vehicle park, the equestrian trails area, and a portion of the Spokane River Centennial Trail. The Spokane House Interpretive Center has exhibits about the

Spokane Indians The Spokane Indians are a Minor League Baseball team located in Spokane Valley, the city immediately east of Spokane, Washington, in the Pacific Northwest. The Indians are members of the High-A Northwest League (NWL) as an affiliate of the Color ...

, early pioneers,

fur trappers The fur trade is a worldwide industry dealing in the acquisition and sale of animal fur. Since the establishment of a world fur market in the early modern period, furs of boreal, polar and cold temperate mammalian animals have been the most ...

, traders, the area's fort and military history, and

Spokane House Spokane House was a fur-trading post founded in 1810 by the British-Canadian North West Company, located on a peninsula where the Spokane River and Little Spokane River meet. When established, it was the North West Company's farthest outpost in ...

, the fur trading post established nearby. Numerous hiking and biking trails exist throughout the park.

Activities and amenities

Park activities include camping, fishing, swimming, picnicking, boating, canoeing, kayaking, bird watching, wildlife viewing, ATV riding, horseback riding, biking, hiking and rock climbing. Campgrounds are located at the Bowl and Pitcher, Nine Mile Recreation Area, and Lake Spokane. The Bowl and Pitcher campground offers 16 standard campsites and 16 partial hookup sites, the Nine Mile campground has three tent sites, 17 partial hookup sites and four full hookup sites, and the Lake Spokane campground has 11 primitive campsites. There are two group campsites at the Bowl and Pitcher campground that can accommodate 40-60 tent campers. Boat launches are available at the Nine Mile Recreation areas and the Lake Spokane campground.

References

External links

Riverside State Park
Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission
Riverside State Park Map
Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission
Riverside State Park Foundation
{{authority control State parks of Washington (state) Geography of Spokane, Washington Museums in Spokane County, Washington History museums in Washington (state) Native American museums in Washington (state) Civilian Conservation Corps in Washington (state) Parks in Spokane County, Washington Protected areas established in 1933

History

Features

Activities and amenities

References

Further reading

External links