Day and a half to explore outdoor recreation areas around Spokane (Colville: real estate, how much)

[MuncherBier]

I will be in Spokane in November for work and will have probably one afternoon/evening, and one day to get out and explore. I know this is probably impossible to answer, but I'm looking for suggestions on where to check out.

We currently live in the Denver area and love Colorado. But I retire in 8 years and the income tax situation in WA is attractive. I also love the water, so being near CDA could be nice. We are very active and enjoy climbing, mountain biking, trail running, and disbursed camping. It's easy here because we are spoiled with so much National Forest land less than an hour away.

I'm hoping to get out and at least get a small taste of what outdoor recreation areas are around Spokane. If you had one day to explore, where would you go? Colville NF? Mica Peak? I also need to get over to see CDA, or Sandpoint.

I know it's impossible to give the area a fair assessment in such a short time but it's my first chance to visit the area so I'd like to at least drive through some areas that might expose me to some of what the area has to offer.

Thanks

[zoomwaffle]

I visited Spokane this summer. I’ve also lived in CO (Denver) and am also a trail runner. I loved Riverside State Park, specifically the Bowl and Pitcher area. I went for a beautiful run with views of the river throughout. I would highly recommend it for a run! While the area is surrounded by forests and mountains, make sure you also explore the downtown/Riverfront Park area. I think Riverfront Park is my favorite waterfront in the US.

[MuncherBier]

I see that the area is surrounded by forests, but I can't tell how much of this is public access. We're used to heading west and having open public access to the mountains. Hopefully I can get a feel for it when I'm up there.

[CalWorth]

I traveled through Spokane, but if I were you I would just head over to CDA, & up into Idaho panhandle as far as you have time for. It’s beautiful & I hope not as crowded as in summer. Or, from CDA, travel 50 miles east on I-90 to Wallace, ID. It’s a cool little mountain town, I love it.

[oregonwoodsmoke]

Mostly, I just drive through Spokane, but I know they have some really nice river parks, good fishing, and good boating opportunities.

You would have good access to Coeur d'Alene and all the lakes and mountains, but if you are thinking of a place to move, CDA is not a cheap place to live. Real estate is substantially higher than it is in Spokane and Idaho is not a low tax state.

November is probably too early for the ice ribbon, which is a really cool thing in Spokane. They have a beautiful long trail of skating rink that winds around.

Looking at a map, if you go north from Spokane you should get into some good mountains and there are some really attractive small towns north of Spokane.

[MuncherBier]

Originally Posted by zoomwaffle

. I think Riverfront Park is my favorite waterfront in the US.

That's really saying something! The trail looks great in Google street view. Since my time is really limited for this trip, I think I'm going to try and see some of the more mountainous national forest areas.

[MuncherBier]

Depending on how much free time I have, I'm thinking I'll head north on 2 and follow the river a bit north of Newport, then head over to Sandpoint and down to CDA, then back to Spokane. Does anyone have any specific spots along this path, or different spots, they recommend? I'm mostly interested in seeing the geography for climbing/biking/running, and cool little towns would be nice as well.