Mount Spokane State Park is a 12,444-acre park in the Selkirk Mountains about 30 miles northeast of Spokane, Washington, with 100 miles of hiking and mountain biking trails and panoramic views from the 5,883-foot (1,793 m) summit. It is the largest state park in Washington, and a paved road runs most of the way up it.

This post is an honest first look rather than a full guide. We drove up on a June afternoon after riding the eastern half of the Centennial Trail that morning, spent about an hour near the top of the ski area, and left. We didn’t hike, and we didn’t get to the Vista House. What we found was a mountain considerably bigger and more interesting than we’d expected — which is exactly the reason to write it up, and the reason we’d go back.

If you’re in Spokane with a spare half day and a Discover Pass, this is a genuinely good use of it.

Park Facts

• Size: 12,444 acres (5,036 ha) — Washington’s largest state park
• Summit: 5,883 feet (1,793 m)
• Trails: 100 miles (161 km), mixed hiking, mountain biking, and equestrian
• Location: 25211 N Mount Spokane Park Drive, Mead, WA — roughly 30 miles (48 km) northeast of downtown Spokane
• Hours: Summer 6:30 a.m. to dusk; winter 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.
• Dogs: Allowed on leash
• Horses: Allowed
• Phone: (509) 238-4258

You Need a Discover Pass — Except in Winter

Same as the Centennial Trail: Mount Spokane is a Washington State Park and parking requires a Discover Pass.

• Annual pass: $45
• One-day pass: $10
• Overnight unattended vehicle: $10 per night

The winter exception is worth knowing. From December 1 through March 31 the park becomes a Sno-Park, and during that window a Sno-Park permit is required instead — the Discover Pass doesn’t cover you. Two different permits for the same mountain, depending on the month, and it surprises people.

If you’re already buying an annual Discover Pass for the Centennial Trail, it covers Mount Spokane the rest of the year.

The Drive Up

The road climbs from the park entrance through ponderosa pine into subalpine forest, and it’s paved nearly to the top. No high-clearance vehicle needed, no dirt, no drama — which makes this one of the easiest 5,000-foot summits to reach in the state.

Give yourself more time than the mileage suggests. It’s a mountain road with switchbacks, and the views start well before the top.

The Ski Area in Summer

Mt. Spokane Ski and Snowboard Park operates inside the state park, and this is where we spent our time. Seeing a ski area out of season is a strange and rather good experience — the lifts sit still, the runs are green meadows, and the trail-map signs describe terrain you can’t picture under all that grass.

The numbers are bigger than a small community hill suggests:

• 1,704 acres of skiable terrain
• 2,000 feet (610 m) of vertical
• 52 designated runs
• Six chairlifts plus a surface lift
• Night skiing most Wednesday through Saturday in season

The thing worth knowing: it’s a nonprofit. Mt. Spokane Ski and Snowboard Park is a community-owned 501(c)(3) — it says so right on the summit signage, under the tagline “Play in your own backyard.” That’s genuinely unusual in an industry consolidating fast into a handful of corporate multi-resort passes, and it’s a good reason to give them your money if you ski.

What We Missed — and Would Go Back For

Being straight about it: an hour at the top of a lift is not a visit to a 12,444-acre park. Here’s what’s there that we didn’t reach.

The Vista House. A stone shelter at the true summit, built in 1933 from blocks of the mountain’s own granite as a Depression-era emergency relief project. It’s the mountain’s signature building and the shot everyone takes. We drove up and didn’t get to it, which still bothers me.

The CCC work. A Civilian Conservation Corps camp — Camp Francis Cook, on Beauty Mountain — was established in June 1934 and housed up to 200 enrollees. They built roads, trails, and picnic areas across the park that are still in use. There’s a historic CCC cabin on the snowmobile trail system.

100 miles of trails. Hiking, mountain biking, and equestrian, through ponderosa pine and subalpine meadow. In summer the meadows carry bear grass, wildflowers, and huckleberries.

Quartz Mountain Fire Lookout. You can rent it and spend the night on a rocky summit, available June 15 through October 1. That’s a trip in itself.

Bald Knob Campground. Eight reservable standard sites, open July 1 through September 15, with running-water restrooms and no showers.

Winter on the Mountain

Worth a paragraph even in a summer post, because winter is arguably what Mount Spokane is for.

• Nearly 37 miles (60 km) of groomed Nordic trails for classic and skate skiing
• Selkirk Lodge with restrooms, water, tables, and a wood stove, open daily 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., December 1 through March 31
• Warming huts on the Nordic system — the Nova Hut and Tripp’s Knob
• 16 miles (26 km) of groomed snowmobile trails
• Ungroomed trails for snowshoeing and fat biking
• Ski and snowshoe rentals from the Nordic Hut, in the lot beside Selkirk Lodge

Photography Notes

• The summer ski area is the unusual subject here. Empty chairlifts over green meadow is a stronger frame than another mountain view, and almost nobody shoots it.
• Look east and north. The long view runs over the Selkirks toward Idaho, and it’s better than the view back toward the city.
• Midday is unhelpful at this elevation, as our photos show. Late afternoon would do far better.
• Bring a longer lens for the ridgelines. The interest is in the layers, not the panorama.

Know Before You Go

• Discover Pass in summer, Sno-Park permit December through March. Don’t assume one covers the other.
• Check the live park cameras before driving up — Washington State Parks runs webcams at the park office, the Selkirk Lodge lot, and the Nordic trails, useful for road conditions and parking capacity.
• The road is paved but it’s a mountain road. Snow and ice persist well into spring at the top.
• Bring layers. It’s a 5,883-foot summit and it runs far cooler and windier than Spokane.
• A new master plan is in development. Washington State Parks has been running public input on a community-informed master plan for the park, with comment rounds through late 2025. Facilities and trail access may change.

Is It Worth It?

For a half day out of Spokane, yes — easily.

You get a paved road to near 5,900 feet, big views over the Selkirks, and a mountain with more going on than its profile suggests. It’s the largest state park in the state and most people outside eastern Washington have never heard of it.

The honest verdict on our own visit is that we underestimated it. We came up for a scenic drive after a morning on the bike and left realizing we’d skipped the Vista House, the CCC history, and a hundred miles of trails. Plan a full day rather than an hour, walk to the Vista House at minimum, and treat the ski area as the bonus rather than the destination.

We’ll be back for the rest of it.

For trail maps, current conditions, camping, and the Quartz Mountain lookout rental, visit Washington State Parks’ page for Mount Spokane State Park, and Mt. Spokane Ski and Snowboard Park for the winter operation.