For nearly 25 years, the Centennial Trail ran from Higgins Point on Coeur d’Alene Lake to Nine Mile Falls Dam. Thanks to generous donations from Avista and the Friends of the Centennial Trail, Washington State Parks was recently able to extend the trail 1.7 miles further from Sontag Park to the Nine Mile Recreation Area at Long Lake.
Loreen McFaul, Executive Director for the Friends of the Centennial Trail, noted how incredible it is to have the Centennial Trail “bookended” by two beautiful lakes and to run parallel with the Spokane River for over 60 miles. “In its 25th year as the region’s recreational trail backbone, the Centennial Trail keeps improving, thanks to the dedicated support of so many community-focused entities.”
Funding for the extension included $100,000 contribution from Avista and $20,000 from the Friends of the Centennial Trail. Washington State Parks contractors completed the extension shortly after the Fourth of July weekend. Adopt-A-Mile partners such as Avista, Itron, and OpenEye fuel the maintenance and advocacy for the trail, and the newest Adopt-A-Mile partner for this extension is RBC Wealth Management.
Overall, this remote section links the Nine Mile Falls community with Riverside State Park, and it provides additional recreation opportunities for anyone camping at the Long Lake campsite. Even better, Nine Mile Falls Elementary gains a fresh asphalt ribbon right next to their playground. //
