Cover photo courtesy of Holly Weiler
Many years in the making, Mount Spokane’s Trail 182 is ready for visitors! Initially included in Mount Spokane State Parks’ trail plan over a decade ago, and after several summer seasons of build work, the trail wrapped up construction in the late fall of 2024. However, summer is the prime time to visit this lushly forested trail on the southwest side of the park. Start from the quiet Green Bluff entrance where Day Mount Spokane Road dead ends at a park gate. Hike a short distance up the old double track road, originally a main park entrance and now a service road plus hiking trail, watching for the new trail signs for Trail 182 on the left approximately 0.2 miles beyond the gate.
The trail ascends gradually, gaining over 900’ elevation in 3.2 miles. There are occasional peekaboo views into the distance, but the main attraction of this trail is the diverse forest. Despite the trail never crossing running water, this side of the park hosts a beautiful and lush old growth forest featuring cedars in the wettest areas, giant ponderosa pines in the drier sections, and Douglas fir and grand fir throughout. In June, the forest floor is additionally carpeted in arnica blooms with the occasional lingering calypso orchid. By July and August, watch for spiky pine drops and vivid white ghost pipes, plants that thrive in the shady forest despite having no green leaves because they are parasitic rather than relying on chlorophyll for nutrients. As the summer progresses, the understory of ninebark is among the first to begin to show hints of fall colors to come.
At the top of the climb, Trail 182 intersects Kit Carson Loop Road about a mile west of Smith Gap. Hikers can choose to remain on singletrack by turning around and retracing the route back to the bottom, or can make a loop of it by turning right and hiking downhill on the Kit Carson Loop Road until reaching the junction with the Day Mountain Road (a park trail from the trailhead gate). Descend Day Mountain Road to return to the start, passing a picnic area and historic marker along the way. The full loop totals 6.5 miles.
Getting There: From Green Bluff, follow Day Mount Spokane Road 4.9 miles to where it joins Big Meadows Road. Turn right and continue 1.9 miles on Day Mount Spokane to a 3-way intersection with poor signage. The middle road is the continuation of Day Mount Spokane, which becomes narrow in its last 0.5 miles to where it dead-ends at a park gate. Park well to the side and do not block the gate.
Holly Weiler is the Eastern Washington Region senior coordinator for Washington Trails Association and will be spending most of the summer working on either Mica Peak or else deep in the Colville National Forest.
