Kamiak Butte (3,641′ elevation) is the second tallest point in Whitman County and a designated National Natural Landmark. One of four county parks, the butte can have some of the earliest spring wildflowers in March and April, although early season visitors should also be prepared for potentially snowy and icy conditions in shady spots as well as higher on the trail system.
Hiking Kamiak Butte in Whitman County, Wash. Read More »
The good thing about hiking somewhere flat is that it doesn’t take long to get a view. While there are various places to walk in Ephrata—the gravel service road next to the town’s canal, the paved activity trail near the airport, or one of many gravel roads just outside town—Beezley Hill is where it’s at for
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By Pete Meighan Approaching from the north, Eastern Washington’s Blue Mountains appear as little more than inconspicuous rolling hills on the horizon. This outwardly unremarkable appearance belies the spectacular network of deep canyons and tabletop ridges concealed within the Umatilla National Forest. Perhaps the trail that best showcases the dramatic landscapes comprising the Blue Mountains is the ominously
Hiking Mount Misery – Blue Mountains Read More »
Looking for some hikes around Spokane with huckleberries? Hiking Inland Northwest mountains for huckleberries is a popular summer pastime. Western huckleberries—variable in color, from blue to a reddish cast on a darker berry, to just plain black—grow best at 3,000-7,000 feet in elevation and are part of the same genus that includes cranberries. Picking huckleberries
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By Jonathan Johnson Enter at the Turnbull National Wildlife Refuge main gate, 4 miles south of Cheney on S. Cheney Plaza Road (free Nov. 1-Feb. 28; March 31-Oct. 31, $3 per day or use various annual National Wildlife Refuge/Parks passes). Drive approximately 1 mile in and park at the paved lot with toilets (check Turnbull’s
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Body Positive Hiking Community By Amanda V. Mead When Summer Michaud-Skog began hiking with her girlfriend in the Oregon wilderness in 2015, she couldn’t help but notice the stares of passersby. Skog knew they didn’t look like the stereotypical hikers seen in outdoor magazines, athletic campaigns, and gear catalogues—she was covered in tattoos, her girlfriend
As fall approaches and the weather starts to turn, so do the aspen in northeast Oregon’s Wallowa Mountains. Pockets of colorful trees dot the Wallowa valley, turning vibrant shades of yellow, orange, and red once the temperatures start dropping. But while you’re likely to see the tree’s brilliant fall foliage, there’s one thing you aren’t
Autumn in the Alpine: Hiking the Wallowas Read More »
Four of the best destinations around Spokane for hiking and enjoying nature’s colorful transition to autumn, from family-friendly to more challenging routes.
Best Autumn Hikes around Spokane Read More »
Memorial Day weekend is the ceremonial start to camping, and it’s not too late to book a trip at any of the hundreds of campgrounds throughout the Northwest. If you’re new to camping, how should you decide where to go? One of my favorite aspects of camping is that the actual campground serves as an
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The snow has disappeared from the surrounding peaks, and buttercups and glacier lilies have been showing their yellow faces. I love wildflowers, and the successive waves of bloom are so brief. This means spring hiking is on my mind well before I put my skis away for the season. I often have trails listed on
Loomis, WA: Spring Hiking in the Sinlahekin Wildlife Area Read More »
