Between Spokane And The Idaho Border Is A Year-Round Mountain State Park With Trails And Huckleberry Harvests

In the Selkirk Mountains of eastern Washington, just 11 miles from the border with Idaho and roughly 30 miles from downtown Spokane and the Spokane International Airport, you can find the outdoor adventure destination that is Mount Spokane State Park. At 12,444 acres, it's the largest state park in Washington. It has over 100 miles of trails, as well as eight named peaks – the park's namesake mountain stands at 5,889 feet tall. From skiing and mountain biking to huckleberry picking, you can have fun here all year long.

In winter, you can ski and snowboard at Mount Spokane. There are dozens of runs over 1,700 acres that are accessible by six ski lifts. It's open from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., so you can get in some fun night skiing. As one Tripadvisor reviewer noted, it's a "great family ski mountain. Mt Spokane is totally underrated. Something to challenge everyone. Inexpensive too." There are a couple of day lodges with restaurants that are open every day of the season, and the Vista House at the summit of Mount Spokane is a historic granite building with great 360-degree views, where you can also get food and drinks on holidays and weekends during ski season.

Beyond downhill skiing and snowboarding, the park has over 3 dozen miles of Nordic trails that are open for cross-country skiing. There are also more than a dozen miles of groomed snowmobiling trails. You can take a cozy break during your snowy explorations with warming huts around the park, including the ones found on the nearly 8-mile Hay Ridge Loop and the 3-mile Smith Gap Loop. Keep in mind that you'll need a Sno-Park permit to access the park during winter, which is separate from the standard park pass.

You can find huckleberries in Mount Spokane State Park from late summer to early fall, though it can depend on the season. Huckleberries have a complex and delicious flavor, and what's particularly notable about them is that you can't really grow them domestically. "Huckleberries are truly wild," Matt Carroll, a professor at Washington State University's College of Agricultural, Human, and Natural Resource Science, explained to Washington State Magazine. "That captures the imagination of a lot of people." So, it's only by finding them in nature that you can access them.

This small fruit has been an important food for indigenous people in the area for centuries. The black bears that live in the Selkirk Mountains also love huckleberries, so make sure to be bear aware in this park. When it comes to finding huckleberries, people can be very guarded about the best places to get them. So, if you ask people where they found them, you may not get a very detailed answer — don't take it personally.

The berries have to be picked by hand — it's illegal in Washington to harvest huckleberries any other way. You can eat them as the ideal trail snack, or, if you're hoping to take some home, you should bring along some Ziploc bags, an essential item that all tourists need in their carry-on. Local bike shop, Wheel Sports Bicycles, recommends taking Trail 140 if you're there in huckleberry season and looking to do some picking. This mountain bike trail is 6.2 miles long. The nearby Saddle Junction, close to Trail 110, is another well-known spot for huckleberries.

Spring and summer in Mount Spokane State Park are fantastic times for hiking, mountain biking, and horseback riding. Whether you're looking for something more chill and relaxed or steep and athletic, the park has a trail for you. One popular hike is to the top of Mount Kit Carson. The 7.5-mile round trip trail takes you through the forest and to open meadows — you also pass by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) Cabin. Originally built in the 1930s, it was rebuilt in the 1990s, and it makes a good landmark on the trail. When you're out on the trails, you can start seeing wildflowers in May, with peak flowering season being in June and July — the bear grass is particularly pretty here.

The city of Spokane is an alluring fall destination, as is the park. There are aspens along the road to the park from the city, so you're greeted by a shimmering gold glow. Fall also means that the needles of the park's larch trees turn a bright yellow.  One great hike to see the larch trees is up to the summit of Quartz Mountain, which is a 4.5-mile round trip.

Bald Knob campground, the only campground in the park, is open seasonally from July through mid September. It only has eight sites, so make reservations online to ensure you have a spot. You can also stay at the Quartz Mountain Fire Lookout from mid June through the end of September. This 14-by-14-foot cabin with room for four is on the summit of the mountain, and it has fantastic views of the surrounding landscape. You can access the cabin via 2.7-mile trail, and you have to hike or bike in.