High Drive Conservation Area
Nature preserve
274 acres11.1 mi of trail
Balsamroot TrailMurungu's TrailPonderosa TrailHigh Drive Trail+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Photo: Quintin Soloviev · CC BY 4.0AOutdoors
Outdoors in Spokane
Spokane has 124 miles of mapped trails, 1.8 for every square mile of land
96% of residents live within a half mile of a park. 12% of Spokane’s land is conserved, about 5,168 acres. The biggest trail networks: High Drive Conservation Area (11.1 mi), Hangman Park (10.4 mi), Downriver Park (3.9 mi).
Ahead of 92% of U.S. towns · #39 of 285 in Washington. What drives it
Conserved land
12%
5,168 acres · of 68.8 sq mi of land
Trails
124 mi
1.8 per sq mi of land
Park land
4,117 ac
18 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
96%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
107 mi
59 mi lanes · 39 mi paths
Lakes & rivers
10
3 beaches · 3 boat launches
What kind of outdoors town is Spokane?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Spokane have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Spokane is ahead of 92% of U.S. towns, #39 of 285 in Washington. All four inputs are above most U.S. towns; trail miles rank highest, park acres per resident lowest.
A
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Spokane’s overall grade.
Conserved land12% of the land · typical WA town 4% · U.S. 4%A−Trails1.8 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (124 mi) · WA 0.8 · U.S. 0.4APark land18 acres of park per 1,000 residents (4,117 acres) · WA 11 · U.S. 13BParks close to home96% of residents within a half mile of a park · WA 92% · U.S. 72%A−
All U.S. towns we grade (21,298)Ahead of 92%
LessMore
Washington towns of 2,500+ (285)Ahead of 87%
Among the 400 U.S. cities of 100,000 or more, Spokane ranks #60 on Outdoors.
How sure. Graded on any three of the four inputs instead, the letter would still be A. Trails and many small parks come from OpenStreetMap, mapped by volunteers, so coverage varies from town to town; the half mile is a straight line from each census block, so a river or highway in the way isn’t counted against it.
PAD-US, OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors), Census 2025 Gazetteer and 2020 blocks; details in Sources below. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →
The map
Conserved land, trails & bike routes
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it.
Easements protect land from building but are usually private.© OpenStreetMap contributors · USGS PAD-US
Places to walk
Pick a walk
The longest trail network is High Drive Conservation Area, with 11.1 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Hangman Park
Park
311 acres10.4 mi of trail
Murungu's TrailCreekside LoopPonderosa TrailBalsamroot Trail+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Downriver Park
Nature preserve
130 acres3.9 mi of trail
Pooch Path
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
High Bridge Park
Park
157 acres2.3 mi of trail
Highbridge Park River Path
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Minnehaha Park
Park
38 acres2 mi of trail
Ghostly LaughterMineral SpringEdgar'sScared Cat
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Wyakin Park
Nature preserve
23 acres2 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
All 91 parks & preserves
High Drive Conservation Area274 acres · 11.1 mi of trail
DirectionsHangman Park311 acres · 10.4 mi of trail
DirectionsDownriver Park130 acres · 3.9 mi of trail
DirectionsLincoln Park64 acres · 3.4 mi of trail
DirectionsManito Park86 acres · 2.9 mi of trail
DirectionsHigh Bridge Park157 acres · 2.3 mi of trail
DirectionsMinnehaha Park38 acres · 2 mi of trail
DirectionsWyakin Park23 acres · 2 mi of trail
Westwood Natural Area191 acres · 1.9 mi of trail · Washington Department of Natural Resources
Dwight Merkel Sports Complex88 acres · 1.7 mi of trail · City of Spokane
DirectionsSky Prairie Park27 acres · 1.4 mi of trail
DirectionsJohn H. Shields Park26 acres · 1.4 mi of trail
DirectionsHamblen Park11 acres · 1.4 mi of trail
DirectionsShadle Park32 acres · 1.2 mi of trail
DirectionsUnderhill Park23 acres · 0.8 mi of trail
DirectionsNorthwest Boulevard Parkway16 acres · 0.8 mi of trail
DirectionsSummit Boulevard Parkway23 acres · 0.7 mi of trail
DirectionsMeadowglen Conservation Area18 acres · 0.7 mi of trail
Edwidge Woldson Park11 acres · 0.7 mi of trail
DirectionsCannon Hill Park10 acres · 0.7 mi of trail
John A. Finch Arboretum64 acres · 0.6 mi of trail
DirectionsPeople's Park64 acres · 0.6 mi of trail
DirectionsCoeur d'Alene Park11 acres · 0.6 mi of trail
DirectionsDrumheller Springs Park16 acres · 0.5 mi of trail
DirectionsCampion Park31 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
Qualchan Hills Park26 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
Grant Park12 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
DirectionsClark Playfield8 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
DirectionsBen Burr Park8 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
DirectionsTrolley Trail Conservation Land6 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
Cliff Park5 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
Polly Judd Park5 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
DirectionsRochester Heights Park3 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
Riverfront Park50 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
DirectionsFriendship Park11 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
DirectionsAshland Conservation Futures10 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
DirectionsAustin Ravine Conservation Area35 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsUpriver Drive Parkway32 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsMeadowglen Park15 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
Peaceful Valley Conservation Area11 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsHays Park8 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
Upriver Park6 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · Avista
DirectionsHill N' Dale Rotary Park3 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsLiberty Park27 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsAudubon Park23 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsCorbin Park11 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Thornton Murphy Park11 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsWestgate Village Park5 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Wentel Grant Park4 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsGlover Field4 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsWildhorse Park3 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Elliot Conservation Futures2 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
James J. Hill Park2 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Kehoe Park2 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsStone Park1 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsFireman’s Park1 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsFranklin Park43 acres
DirectionsComstock Park28 acres
DirectionsAndrew Rypien Field22 acres · Spokane Youth Sports Association
DirectionsHazel's Creek Drainage and Conservation Facility22 acres
DirectionsHerbert M. Hamblen Conservation Area21 acres
DirectionsMission Park20 acres
DirectionsChief Garry Park12 acres
DirectionsHarmon-Shipley Park11 acres
DirectionsLoma Vista Park9 acres
Nevada Park8 acres
DirectionsA.M. Cannon Park7 acres
DirectionsGrandview Park7 acres
Whispering Pines Park6 acres
Pacific Park5 acres
DirectionsThe Park Strip5 acres
Glass Park4 acres
DirectionsByrne Park4 acres
Emerson Park4 acres
DirectionsWhittier Park3 acres
Indian Trail Park3 acres
Courtland Park3 acres
DirectionsForest Ridge Park3 acres
Heath Park3 acres
DirectionsHuntington Park3 acres
DirectionsLyons Park3 acres
Webster Park2 acres
DirectionsHillyard Aquatics Center2 acres
DirectionsRuth Park2 acres
DirectionsCowley Park2 acres
DirectionsOlmstead Park1 acres
Riverfront Park Conservation Area1 acres
DirectionsSouth Maple Street Parkway1 acres
DirectionsDutch Jakes Park1 acres
Harry Altmeyer Park1 acres
Peaceful Valley Park1 acres
DirectionsWho protects it
5,168 conserved acres
12% of Spokane’s land. Who manages Spokane’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Town or city3,202 ac
County1,428 ac
State parks569 ac
Regional agency360 ac
Other or Unknown Local Government8 ac
Local Other or Unknown · 2,462 acLocal Park · 1,951 acState Park · 569 acLocal Recreation Area · 469 acLocal Conservation Area · 115 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. Public access isn’t recorded for 3 of 159 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Loth142 Local Other or Unknown | Town or city | 978 | Open |
| Loth241 Local Other or Unknown | County | 799 | Unknown |
| Spokane International Airport Local Other or Unknown | County | 621 | Unknown |
| Riverside State Park | State parks | 569 | Open |
| Hangman Park Local Park | Town or city | 328 | Open |
| The Creek at Qualchan Golf Course Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 179 | Open |
| Indian Canyon Park Local Park | Town or city | 151 | Open |
| Downriver Municipal Golf Course Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 121 | Open |
| Riverfront Park Local Park | Town or city | 86 | Open |
| Dwight Merkel Sports Complex Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 82 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
202 places to go in Spokane
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in Spokane
3 beaches without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Public pools in Spokane
Witter PoolIn Mission Park
DirectionsPlus 3 public pools without a name on the map.
Playgrounds in Spokane
Comstock PlaygroundIn Comstock Park
DirectionsIce Age Floods PlaygroundIn Riverfront Park
DirectionsLower Manito PlaygroundIn Manito Park
DirectionsOasis Park
DirectionsOld Jefferson Elementary Playground
DirectionsPolly Judd PlaygroundIn Polly Judd Park
DirectionsProvidence PlayscapeIn Riverfront Park
DirectionsRed WagonIn Riverfront Park
Directions2 more playgrounds
Splash padIn Thornton Murphy Park
DirectionsUpper Manito PlaygroundIn Manito Park
Directions159 playgrounds are on OpenStreetMap in all; the list shows named ones from the first 30.
Dog parks in Spokane
SpokAnimal Dog Park at High Bridge
DirectionsWaterfalls in Spokane
Upper Falls
DirectionsUpper Falls
DirectionsScenic views in Spokane
Bowl and Pitcher viewpoint
DirectionsCliff Park ViewpointIn Cliff Park
DirectionsEdwidge Wilson Park Viewpoint
DirectionsInspiration Point
DirectionsLocal Sculptures
DirectionsLower Falls
DirectionsLower FallsIn Riverfront Park
DirectionsPlus 14 scenic views without a name on the map.
Picnic areas in Spokane
3 picnic areas without a name on the map.
Community gardens in Spokane
Student Community Garden
DirectionsPlus 5 community gardens without a name on the map.
Trails & water
25 named trails and 10 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 49.2 miHorses · 10.8 miUnpaved · 86.3 mi
Murungu's Trail3.6 mi
Balsamroot Trail3.3 mi
Ponderosa Trail2.3 mi
Lemon Flats Loop2.1 mi
Creekside Loop1.7 mi
Esmeralda Trail1.6 mi
Polly Judd Trail1.3 mi
Tuffy's Trail1.2 mi
High Drive Trail1.1 mi
Trail 1001.0 mi
15 more trails
Highbridge Park River Path
0.8 miMineral Spring
0.8 miMaster Blaster
0.7 miYard Sale
0.6 miWiggler
0.5 miCommitment Issues
0.5 miPop Rocks
0.5 miCampion Park Trail
0.4 miGhostly Laughter
0.4 miTrolley Trail
0.4 miSekani-Shields Connector
0.4 miKampGrounds of Beacon, K.O.B.
0.3 miAirport Escalator
0.3 miPooch Path
0.3 miScared Cat
0.2 miBiking & sports
107 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
59 mi
painted or protected bike lanes
39 mi
off-road bike paths
8.9 mi
shoulders & shared lanes
Courts & fields
118Tennis
101Baseball
99Basketball
28Soccer
11Pickleball
8Football
4Softball
3Skate park
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →130 places on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 41 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
Cowley ParkSite · listed 1973
About itGlover HouseBuilding · listed 1973
About itSpokane County CourthouseBuilding · listed 1974
About itCampbell HouseBuilding · listed 1974
About itReview BuildingBuilding · listed 1975
About itDavenport HotelBuilding · listed 1975
About itClark MansionBuilding · listed 1975
About itMonroe Street BridgeStructure · listed 1976
About itFort George Wright Historic District-Fort George Wright CemeteryDistrict · listed 1976
About itFinch HouseBuilding · listed 1976
About itBrowne's Addition Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 1976
About itRiverside Avenue Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 1976
About it118 more on the History page.
When to get out
The best walking months in Spokane: April to June, August and September
NOAA’s 1991–2020 normals for the town and the daylight at its latitude. Outlined months have long days, highs of 59 to 86 °F and little rain for the place.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daylight (h) | 8.8 | 10.2 | 11.8 | 13.6 | 15.1 | 16.0 | 15.6 | 14.3 | 12.5 | 10.7 | 9.2 | 8.4 |
| High (°F) | 36 | 41 | 51 | 59 | 69 | 75 | 86 | 85 | 75 | 59 | 44 | 35 |
| Rain (in) | 2.0 | 1.4 | 1.7 | 1.4 | 1.6 | 1.4 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0.6 | 1.4 | 2.0 | 2.5 |
August is the driest month (0.5 in) and July the warmest (highs of 86 °F). 2.5 inches fall in December, the wettest month. Summer highs reach 86 °F, too hot for the outline. The climate in Spokane →
Next door
Spokane and its neighbors
Spokane has the most mapped trails of the 5 towns around it. Tap a town to see its outdoors.
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spokane | 12% | 1.8 | 18 | 96% | A |
| Airway Heights | 1% | 0.2 | 3 | 73% | C |
| Town and Country | 2% | 0.1 | 2 | 96% | C |
| Country Homes | 9% | 2.5 | 15 | 72% | A− |
| Spokane Valley | 3% | 0.3 | 6 | 71% | C+ |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Spokane
Where can I hike in Spokane?
The longest trail networks: High Drive Conservation Area, 11.1 miles; Hangman Park, 10.4 miles; Downriver Park, 3.9 miles; Lincoln Park, 3.4 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Spokane is conserved land?
12% of its land, against a typical 4% for a Washington town and 4% nationally (PAD-US). Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors: easements are usually private land.
Are dogs allowed on Spokane’s trails?
High Drive Conservation Area and Hangman Park don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Spokane?
107 miles of bike routes are on the map: 59 of painted or protected lanes, 39 of off-road paths and 8.9 of shoulders and shared lanes.
Is there public land near Spokane?
25,035 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Spokane or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 4,203 of them inside the city line.
How much outdoors does Spokane have?
Ahead of 92% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #39 of 285 in Washington. The grade combines the share of land that is conserved, miles of mapped trail per square mile of land, park acres per 1,000 residents and the share of residents within a half mile of a park. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.
Trail talk
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from Spokane neighbors.
Share a tip
Sources
Where this page comes from
Conserved and public land: USGS Protected Areas Database of the United States (PAD-US), service updated July 2026. Parks, trails, playgrounds, beaches and other places: OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL), map data as of 2026-10-28. Land and water area: Census 2025 Gazetteer. Residents near a park: 2020 Census blocks. National Register: National Park Service. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →