Spokane, WA

This past weekend I decided to check out the Dishman Hills Natural Area that I’ve wanted to explore for a while. I’ve passed by the Dishman Hills sign on Appleway Ave many times and have always been curious as to what was beyond the sign. I’m really glad that I finally got the chance to explore this wonderful area.

You will find the Dishman Hills sign heading East on Appleway Blvd on your right at Sargent Rd. It is located between S Vista and Argonne. You can’t see the park from the road, which keeps it well hidden and not very crowded. The paved road will end and a dirt road will take you to a beautiful park. I knew that this area had hiking and trees, but I didn’t expect this beautiful park. This was called Camp Caro and the sign says it’s sponsored by the Spokane Valley Kiwanis.

Honestly, I could have gone no further and just enjoyed the beautiful park. There was a large area of lush green grass surrounded by trees, as well as quite a few picnic benches and a children’s play area. This would be a perfect place to have a picnic. I’m not sure how crowded it is on the weekends, but I was there on a Friday afternoon and my nephew and I had the place to ourselves.

We checked out the park for a few minutes and then headed towards the trail we saw since we came to hike. The very beginning of the trail took us through a log cabin sort of building which seems to be some kind of rentable recreation center. As we walked through a pass-way through the building, we found public restrooms on our left. Immediately beyond the building was a big map of the 500+ acre park and the beginning of a couple of trails.

We started on the trail to the left and started hiking into the woods. It was a very nice place to hike. It wasn’t too steep and there were spots of sun as well as deep shade as we wove in and out of thick patches of trees. I had also taken my beagle and she loved exploring in the woods. I did keep her leashed though because I know there are various forms of wildlife in the area.

There are posted signs at each major path split that point you to the different trails. We decided to take the path to Eagle Peak because we figured we would enjoy the view. Eventually we did make it to what I presume was Eagle Peak (it wasn’t marked) and we climbed up on this large rock and were able to see the entire Spokane Valley and even some of the city to the West. It was an amazing view and completely worth the 45 minute hike. After we took in the view we headed back the way we came. The whole hike took 2 hours, but that included us exploring and spending about 30 minutes enjoying the view up top.

Visiting Dishman Hills can give you a variety of experiences. You can hike for as long or as short as you want. I would recommend taking a water bottle with you- especially if it’s warm. Bikes are not allowed on the trails but they are dog friendly. The hike we took wasn’t very difficult and I told my 60 year old mom that she would be able to hike it no problem. This would be a great outing for the family and a great nature lesson for kids.