Every other year I spend one week in Olympia reviewing grant applications as a member of the statewide Non-highway and Off-road Vehicle Activities (NOVA) program through the Washington Recreation and Conservation Office (RCO). It’s an intense week of recreation grant presentations on a strict 20-minute schedule all day for five days. Our team reviews and […]
Hike of the Month: Chesaw Wildlife Area Read More »
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 »
Located about an hour west of Spokane, the Swanson Lakes Wildlife Area is an uncrowded central Washington hiking spot. This rural meander provides open views, subtle plateaus, native grasses, and a series of seeps that lead to larger lakes spotting the region. You can count on open skies, fresh air, and a refreshing sense of
Hiking Swanson Lakes Wildlife Area Read More »
Consider this two hikes in one. Although a trip here will require a little extra planning, visitors have access to two different public land agencies, two different hiker experiences, and several options for extending a short loop into a longer outing if so desired. For the pre-planning required of this trip, start by completing an
Hike of the Month: Revere Wildlife Area and Palouse to Cascades Trail Read More »
One of Northwest’s longest paved biking trails will have you pedaling past lakes, along a wild river, through friendly small towns and wetlands and woods teaming with birds and other wildlife–all without the crowds you might expect. If you haven’t ridden the Trail of the Coeur d’Alenes yet, put it at the top of your
By March the 4-O Ranch unit of the Chief Joseph State Wildlife Area is easing into spring mode. Green grass is returning to the open slopes and visitors can expect to see wildflowers, even as the mountains to the north are still open to skiing and snowshoeing. The larger Chief Joseph Wildlife Area totals over
Hike of the Month: Chief Joseph State Wildlife Area in Southeast Washington Read More »
Help raise funds for wildlife biology student scholarships by hiking the Dave Brittell Memorial Trail on the Sinlahekin Wildlife Area in Okanogan County on National Trails Day, June 2. This fourth annual hike is in memory of a great lover of hiking, trails and wildlife. Dave Brittell was a wildlife biologist and Washington Department of
National Trails Day: Help Wildlife by Hiking (June 2) Read More »
Eating sushi or sipping craft cocktails at a city café isn’t the typical start to a wildlife watching hike, but downtown Spokane is unique in that regard. Both the Spokane River and Latah Creek serve as wildlife corridors for a surprising list of species. Miles of lightly developed, forested park and residential land extend the
Critters in the City: Downtown Spokane’s Urban Wildlife Hikes Read More »
The Turnbull National Wildlife Refuge, 6 miles south of Cheney, Wash., represents a unique ecological transition between the dry, sagebrush grasslands of the Columbia Basin and the timbered Selkirk mountains. This mosaic of wetlands provides important habitat for migrating and breeding waterfowl, and more than 200 different kinds of birds have been recorded in the
Turnbull National Wildlife Refuge Hiking Read More »
The first time I visited the Sherman Creek Wildlife Area, I was delighted by what I found in a location I have never seen described in local guidebooks. Sherman Creek is roaring in the springtime, and with its low elevation, this is a good place to see early buttercups and other wildflowers. It’s managed for
Sherman Point Loop (Sherman Creek Wildlife Area) Read More »
