Hikes in Washington: The Eagle Peak Loop Trail

Basic Information

• Name: The Eagle Peak Loop Trail
• Where: Dishman Hills Natural Area, WA
• Distance: 4 miles
• Max Elevation: 2,379 feet
• Elevation Gain: 387 feet
• Time: 2-3 hours
• Difficulty: Easy
• More Information: Day Hike! Spokane, Coeur d’Alene, and Sandpoint

Google Earth Map of the Trail

Directions

To reach the Dishman Hills Natural Area take I-90 east through Spokane and take the Appleway Boulevard Exit.  Drive down Appleway and the make a right on to Sargent Road.

Parking

Immediately after making the right turn on to Sargent Road look to the right for the Dishman Hills Natural Area sign.  The dirt parking lot is huge with plenty of space even on busy days.

Narrative

Another fun hike I was able to take my two young kids on in the Spokane region was to the summit of Eagle Peak located in the Dishman Hills Natural Area.  From the parking lot the hike to Eagle Peak begins by crossing this open field and finding the trail located in the tree line:

In the Dishman Hills Natural Area there are trails running in various directions which make trail finding a challenge.  From the tree line take the trail that follows a fence into the forest:

The trail will then reach a big signboard that has a map of the trail system at Dishman Hills.  This signboard is located near Camp Caro which is a large lodge that groups can rent from Spokane County:

What is kind of neat about Dishman Hills is its geology.  It is yet another terrain feature in the Spokane region that was created by the Ice Age Floods.  All of these hills were underwater when the floods ripped down through Spokane Valley from Idaho:

From the signboard my kids and I then proceeded to hike up various staircases on the Pinecliff Loop Trail that went in the direction of Eagle Peak:

The signage in the park of the trails is not all that great, so I often referred back to a picture I took back at the signboard on my phone to stay on the right trail:

At just under a mile into the hike we came upon this park bench:

The bench had a nice view of Mt. Spokane rising out in the distance:

As we got deeper into the park we actually began to see more signage along the trail.  We had followed the left branch of the red colored Pinecliff Trail to access the yellow loop trail that led to the summit of Eagle Peak:

Once we reached the yellow Eagle Peak Loop Trail it was well marked with signs pointing the way to Eagle Peak:

We found another nice map at a trail intersection:

As the trail nears Eagle Peak there is a rock outcropping that needs to be ascended to reach the top of the mountain:

From the top of the 2,379 foot Eagle Peak there are expansive views of the Spokane Valley area:

Here is the view looking into Spokane Valley:

The most prominent terrain feature that can be seen is the 5,209 foot Mica Peak along the Washington-Idaho border:

Some homes further up in the hills could be seen as well which must have some impressive views:

After spending about 30 minutes on the summit my kids and I then headed back to the trailhead.  After finishing the Eagle Peak Trail Loop we then took the Enchanted Ravine route back to the trailhead:

The Enchanted Ravine followed the right branch of the Pinecliff Loop Trail and was a stretch of gorge that was thickly vegetated:

There was also a neat rock outcropping to see as well:

We then continued to follow the red trail passed a small outdoor auditorium:

We then passed what appeared to be an old structure built into the side of the hill that had long ago collapsed:

We then found ourselves back at the lodge at Camp Caro:

At the Camp Caro my kids played around in the large grass field and adjacent playground for awhile:

After they tired themselves out we then proceeded to follow the fence line trail back to the large parking lot:

Conclusion

The Dishman Hills Natural Area is a real gem of a location in the Spokane area.  It is super easy to access off of I-90 and once immersed into the hills it is hard to believe you are actually in the middle of a city.  There are also plenty of family friendly trails to explore within the park such as the Eagle Peak Loop Trail.  My kids and I look forward to exploring more of the trails at Dishman Hills and you should too.