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I’m an avid world traveler, photographer, software developer, and digital storyteller.

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135
Spokane River Centennial State Park Trail
135

Spokane River Centennial State Park Trail

near Spokane, Washington
visited 3 May 2025
Back to parks list

Spokane is blessed to have a nearly 40-mile bike trail as part of the state parks system. The trail mostly follows the Spokane River from the state line with Idaho to the Nine Mile Recreation Area.

I had most of an afternoon today to explore the trail. I rented an e-bike from the good folks at The Bike Hub. Given the time available, that allowed me to explore a few segments of the trail.

West End

I started with the western end of the trail, using the parking lot near the Nine Mile Falls dam as a starting point.

A wet paved trail curves through a forest of tall pine and conifer trees alongside a calm river, with green shrubs and small yellow and white wildflowers lining the path under an overcast sky.
Spokane River Centennial State Park Trail, Nine Mile Falls, Washington
A narrow paved trail curves gently ahead, flanked on both sides by lush green deciduous trees and tall conifers, beneath a heavily overcast gray sky.
Spokane River Centennial State Park Trail, Nine Mile Falls, Washington

Alas, the trail was closed south of the dam for a forest thinning project, so the Deep Creek Bridge (shown below) is as far south as I could go.

A view down the center of an old steel truss bridge with cream-colored beams and weathered wooden railings, its cracked asphalt deck dotted with puddles, crossing the Spokane River under an overcast sky and flanked by evergreen forest.
Spokane River Centennial State Park Trail, Nine Mile Falls, Washington

After being turned back at the bridge, I turned north and found the trail very much like some of the hiking trails I encountered last year when visiting Riverside State Park.

A wet, winding paved trail curves through a forest of tall ponderosa pine trees with slender trunks, set against an overcast pale gray-purple sky. Sparse green grass and a few yellow wildflowers grow across the open forest floor on either side of the path.
Spokane River Centennial State Park Trail, Nine Mile Falls, Washington

This led me to the western end of the trail at Nine Mile Recreation Area:

A calm lake with a cordoned-off swimming area marked by yellow buoys and a white swim-area sign post in the water, bordered by a grassy shoreline and dense evergreen forest under an overcast gray sky.
Nine Mile Recreation Area, Nine Mile Falls, Washington
A floating dock extends across calm gray water under a dramatic overcast sky of heavy clouds, with forested hills lined by evergreen trees rising along the far shore of the lake. A second smaller dock is visible to the right.
Nine Mile Recreation Area, Nine Mile Falls, Washington

Donkey Island Trailhead

The Bike Hub crew suggested I spend some time near Donkey Island, so I drove over there and resumed my exploration:

A paved asphalt trail winds through a landscape of tall pine trees and grassy banks under an overcast gray sky, with a river visible on the right side.
Spokane River Centennial State Park Trail, Millwood, Washington

The trail crosses over the Spokane River a mile or so east of the trailhead. I shot this from the bridge over the river.

A wide river flows beneath a heavy, overcast gray sky, with large boulders breaking the surface midstream. Pine and deciduous trees line both banks, and a forested hill rises in the distance.
Spokane River Centennial State Park Trail, Spokane Valley, Washington

There were many short trails off of the bike trail to various swimming holes and rock formations:

A dirt and gravel footpath winds through a stand of tall ponderosa pine trees alongside the Spokane River, with scattered pine cones, yellow wildflowers, and grass lining the trail under an overcast sky.
Spokane River Centennial State Park Trail, Spokane Valley, Washington
A large moss- and lichen-covered basalt outcrop rises beside the Spokane River under a heavy overcast sky, with a rocky trail and evergreen and shrub vegetation on the left and the river flowing past on the right.
Spokane River Centennial State Park Trail, Spokane Valley, Washington
A large dark basalt rock outcrop topped with grass and a small leafless shrub sits at the edge of the swift Spokane River, with rapids visible in the flowing water. Across the river, a dense forested hillside of evergreens rises under a heavy overcast gray sky.
Spokane River Centennial State Park Trail, Spokane Valley, Washington
A sandy dirt trail leads through patchy grass toward a riverbank lined with tall pine trees and leafy deciduous trees under a heavy, overcast gray sky. The Spokane River flows quietly on the left, bordered by dense evergreen forest on the far shore.
Spokane River Centennial State Park Trail, Spokane Valley, Washington
A narrow dirt footpath winds through a stand of tall ponderosa pines, with bright green grass between the tree trunks and scattered pine cones strewn across the gravelly trail and forest floor under an overcast sky.
Spokane River Centennial State Park Trail, Spokane Valley, Washington

My trusty steed for the day …

Spokane River Centennial State Park Trail, Spokane Valley, Washington

State Line Segment

The Spokane River Centennial State Park Trail ends at the state line with Idaho, where it meets the North Idaho Centennial Trail.

Spokane River Centennial State Park Trail, Liberty Lake, Washington

I ventured a short distance past the state line to find this bridge over the Spokane River.

Centennial Trail, Post Falls, Idaho

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