A dog-friendly afternoon in Spokane
We were originally going to drive through Spokane, but after doing some research, decided we had to stop for a few hours to look around. Due to having limited time, we only visited the Riverfront Park and Spokane Falls areas, but I wish we'd been able to stay a night or two as the town looked really welcoming and there were a couple of places we didn't go that would have been really interesting to visit.
THINGS TO DO
Riverfront Park
This a really beautiful urban park located on the Spokane River and is within easy walking distance to town. Here is a summary of what we did / saw during our visit:
The giant Radio Flyer is a pretty cool attraction!
The Rotary Fountain, visually interesting to look at and has lots of water jets if you have a dog that likes to get its feet (or whole body) wet! The fountain is only open May to September.
There is a nice walk along the river to the (indoor) Looff Carousel. The structure itself sits within some nicely landscaped gardens looking over the river and we enjoyed sitting here for a bit.
The Garbage Goat is a fun thing just to see (make sure you have a piece of trash to throw away) as it’s an interactive rubbish bin! Beats wasn't overly impressed by it, but I thought it was really clever.
A huge 'Radio Flyer' wagon which makes for a great photo. There are stairs you can climb up to get a pic, or just take one from the ground if your dog isn't a fan of climbing. It is near a playground though, so no guarantees it won't be covered in kids! Next to the playground is also a set of 'blocks' that spell out ‘City of Spokane’ which is another fun photo op.
Cross the suspension bridge to a small Island named Snxw Mene for some amazing white water views up and down the river. The Island itself has a couple of small trails that lead you through some great Native American sculptures.
Great views up and down the river
The actual park itself is also huge so if you're just wanting to have a really good walk you'll have no issues getting your 10,000 steps in! If you want to check out a map of the park and key attractions click here
Spokane Falls
If you enjoy doing something a bit different and aren't afraid of heights, there is a gondola (called the Numerica SkyRide) you can take over top of the falls, which I did solo while Mike and Beats relaxed in the shade. If you're happy to take turns, the views are fabulous and it only takes about 20 mins. If this isn't an option, or you prefer staying on the ground, then you can also easily walk to get really great views.
If you don’t mind heights, the SkyRide is a lot of fun
The first option is to head to Huntington Park which is alongside the river. There is a viewing area and pathways that take you up close to the lower section of the falls and has seating plus outdoor art and sculptures. If you prefer to go up high, then head to the Monroe Street Bridge for more great views - and where you can also get a photo of the ‘Washington Water Power’ sign.
But you can also get good views by staying on the ground!
OTHER THINGS TO DO
Manito Park is only a ten min drive from downtown Spokane and has free parking at its main entrance. Dogs are welcome but must be on leash. Its not clear on the website but I have heard the only area where dogs aren't allowed in here are the Japanese gardens. However, there are plenty of other areas within the park that dogs can visit and the photos I've seen are beautiful, with landscaped grounds and gardens. There is also a café and bathrooms in the park.
GETTING AROUND
Parking was fairly limited on the town side of riverside Park, so we headed over to the parking lot near the Basketball Court / Ice Age Playground (and bonus - there are bathrooms here too!). There is a nice paved path to the river from here that takes you out to the small Island (named Snxw Mene) for some amazing white water views up and down the river.
IN SUMMARY
While my plan for this website was not just to have a list of parks where dogs could go, Spokane is the exception as all of the activities listed include parks! However, it’s because there is a lot more to them than just open grassy areas, or having a small fenced dog park. The attractions highlighted all have a variety of really interesting aspects that people will enjoy just as much as their dogs! While we were only here for a few hours, if you’d like to spend more time in Spokane or would like more information about visiting with a dog head to VisitSpokane.com