Visit the Spokane River Water Trail

The days of wondering how to access and enjoy the Spokane River are over.

Come explore the Spokane River Water Trail web site, www.spokanewatertrail.org. This interactive web site developed by the Spokane River Forum makes it easy to find the access locations, attractions, amenities and river information you most desire along the entire 111 mile length of the Spokane River.

Said Jeanna Hofmeister, Chief Marketing Officer with Visit Spokane, “The Spokane River is literally the heartbeat of our community, and development of the Spokane Water Trail heightens the energy and enthusiasm of both visitors and locals to experience it. This new website will be the key resource for in depth information about recreation possibilities on the river for every age and skill level. People are going to love it!”

 Here’s the top ten list of things you’ll love and want to know about the site:

1. Your search is our command. From the main page, you can select up to 18 different amenities, e.g.-paddling, restrooms, swimming, playground, etc. The water trail map shows the locations (pins) with the amenities you want.
2. More details please. Click on a pin to get summary information and a link detailing various amenities as well as Google directions to get there.
3. Take me straight to paddling, rafting or fishing. There are specific web pages for each user group that provide people of all skill levels both general and detailed information by river section and location.
4. Recreational resources. Information about clubs, classes, outfitters, etc. is available, including a link to their web site and e-mail address. Find what you need, contact them, and enjoy the river safely.
5. Safety, safety, safety. The site provides links to current river flows, safety around dams, paddling safety, whitewater safety, etc.
6. Stewardship. We’ve got volunteer projects for you to sign-up for and a blog to tell you about our latest activities.
7. Sponsors make good things possible. The Charter Sponsors that allowed us to create this site include the Inland Northwest Community Foundation, Visit Spokane and the Mountaineers Foundation. To keep the web page going, Avista and Spokane Canoe and Kayak Club stepped up to be the first Sustainer Sponsors.
8. Eat and rest your weary head. You may also need a place to stay, eat, etc. No one helps answer those questions better than Visit Spokane, which is always a click away on this site.
9. Daily reports. For fishing and whitewater, local blogs offer current news about what’s biting and conditions at whitewater play areas.
10. More to come. The Forum is partnering with other organizations to improve existing water trail locations and create new ones. Sign up for e-news and you can track our progress.

How’d the Forum create this great site? Said Andy Dunau, the Executive Director, “Not to mix metaphors, but we shot two really difficult rapids. On the content side, interns, staff and volunteers pulled together information located here, there and everywhere. On the programming side, we invested heavily to make it attractive, easy to navigate and easy to update.”