Every season in the crown jewel of our park system is beautiful in its own way. Walking on the Centennial Trail past the Red Wagon, Rotary Fountain and seeing the Pavilion and Clock Tower over your shoulder reminds you how lucky you are to live in an area blessed with the natural beauty of the river and the carefully crafted man made attractions. We waited for it, and it finally came, HAPPY SPRING!
Hiking the stream bed of Deep Creek is one of the most challenging short hikes you'll ever take. The stream bed is mostly dry but there are ponds to go around in places. You'll find boulders, big rocks, places where the floor is all of a sudden 4 feet below you and you'll have to slide down some logs from a big rock to get there. Native flowers and vegetation decorate up the sheer rock walls and crevices. Parking on the Deep Creek overlook parking lot I walk down to the stream bed and make my way toward the river, traveling north-east. At the end of the stream bed you come to a bridge over where Deep Creek meets the Spokane River. The Centennial trail uses the bridge and then continues north. I go over the bridge, up the Centennial Trail, traveling south, and then turn right at the top of the hill onto the road that takes you back to the parking lot. The roads here are actual roads so easy going, except for the up part. From the road back you can go to the overlook and see how deep down you really were.
This beautiful area never disappoints, no matter the season. It is still a little early, with the cold, for much activity in the baby duck and goose area. There are water birds on the now full again lake. but not many babies yet. Parked at the Austin Road pullout to go in the back way for a change. This direction takes you to the south end of the lake past some other ponds or if you go left at the fork it takes you along the ridge on the west side of the lake. Do be prepared to get your feet wet and muddy in places, but good news, we dry!
What a wonderful addition to our regions natural areas and trails! I had been on the uplands trails but never to the trails in the Flats. The path is graveled and seems to float in between water. The path that runs along the edge of the large body of water doesn't make a complete loop around the water so you have to go back or it appears there is a path that runs from the end to back along Henry Road. So many birds are calling the wetlands home, so the plan to bring it back is working. The trails are all relatively short, like 3-4 miles roundtrip so you might want to park on the 1st Henry Road Uplands trailhead and walk the Uplands trail enjoying looking down on the Flats trail before descending down to walk it. This should be a must walk on your trail bucket list.
What a glorious space this Manito Park is! Every season is gorgeous and completely different and to be experienced! I went walking in Manit...
