Riverside State Park, Washington’s second-largest state park, makes outdoor adventures available to a wide range of visitors in the park’s nearly 10,000 acres of natural areas along the Spokane and Little Spokane rivers. With trailheads and facilities close to downtown Spokane, the park offers camping, hiking, mountain biking, running, bird-watching, swimming, fishing, ORV riding and boating at popular sites such as the iconic Bowl and Pitcher, Nine Mile Falls Recreation Area and the 600-acre ORV Area. The park also features a 500-acre Equestrian Area with camping and designated trails for horses and hikers. In winter, Riverside transforms into a hub for snowshoeing, cross-country skiing and fat-tire mountain biking.
The park’s history runs deep. Riverside was developed in 1933 and 1934 by members of the Civilian Conservation Corps, and visitors can still see evidence of their work today. The Spokane House Interpretive Center highlights the area’s past, with exhibits about the Spokane Tribe of Indians, early pioneers, fur trappers and trading posts dating back to 1810.
No story of Riverside State Park would be complete without mentioning Riverside State Park Foundation. The all-volunteer nonprofit supports the park with improvements and activities in consultation with park staff, including financial donations and community volunteer hours that help ensure the park remains accessible for generations to come. Every dollar donated goes directly to park projects, equipment and programs—funding everything from drinking fountains, dog leashes and water bowls to trail signage, picnic tables, bike racks, landscaping trees, trailers, mowers, generators, e-bikes for ranger patrols, volunteer tools and even log splitters.
Riverside State Park Foundation also hosts annual educational events such as “Wednesdays in the Woods” and fundraisers such as “The Grind,” a new gravel bike race planned for Riverside State Park on Oct. 11. These activities not only raise awareness but build appreciation and commitment to caring for this unique and valuable public park.
