Hikes in Washington: The Saltese Uplands Summit Loop Trail

Basic Information

• Name: Saltese Uplands Summit Loop Trail
• Where: Spokane Valley, Washington
• Distance: 4.6 miles
• Maximum Elevation: 2,646 feet
• Elevation Gain: 685 feet
• Time: 1.5 – 2 hours
• Difficulty: Easy
• More Information: Day Hike! Spokane, Coeur d’Alene, and Sandpoint

Google Earth Map of the Trail

Directions

To get to the trailhead for the Saltese Uplands Conservation area take I-90 east from Spokane to Spokane Valley.  Exit I-90 at Barker Road.  Take Barker Road south until it intersects with Sprague Ave.  Take a left on Sprague and then take a right on S. Henry Road.  Follow this road until it takes you to the trailhead that is easily spotted on the left side of the road.

Parking

The Saltese Uplands has a very large parking lot which means there should be no issues finding parking.  It also has a porta-potty as well for those who need it.

Narrative

At the Saltese Uplands Trailhead there is a large signboard with a map of the various trails around the conservation area.  I decided to hike up to the highest point in the park and loop back to the trailhead for a nice 4.6 mile hike.

From the signboard the trail runs adjacent to the surrounding uplands:

It then runs adjacent to the nearby paved road for a short distance:

From the trail there is a good view of the 5,209 foot Mica Peak which I have previously hiked up:

The trail then comes to an intersection where I took the Uplands Loop towards the Summit Loop Junction:

A short distance up the trail I then made a left on to the Turkey Gulch Trail:

The Turkey Gulch Trail follows, you guessed it, a gulch up towards the summit of the Saltese Uplands:

I did not see any turkeys along this trail, but there was plenty of beautiful wildflowers to see:

Once the trail exits up and out of the gulch it then intersects with the Summit Loop Trail.  I made a left here and proceeded to walk a short distance towards the summit:

At about the 2-mile mark I reached the summit of the Saltese Uplands which is capped by a white water tower:

From the top of the hill I had a nice view of the surrounding area:

My views included seeing the 5,883 foot Mt. Spokane rising in the distance:

I could also see the 3,366 foot Antoine Peak that I had hiked the previous weekend rising above Spokane Valley just across from me:

Looking towards Idaho I could see Liberty Lake that sits just on the Washington side of the border:

After spending about 20 minutes on the summit taking in the views I then followed the Uplands Trail down the hillside to make this a loop hike:

The hike down the Uplands Loop Trail back to the trailhead was about 2.5 miles:

The Uplands Loop Trail descended a nearly treeless hillside that rose above Turkey Gulch:

During the descent down the trail I reached a nice viewpoint of a small pond located just below the Saltese Uplands:

From the viewpoint it was an easy walk back to the trailhead following the trail that runs adjacent to the paved road:

Conclusion

The Saltese Uplands is by no means a spectacular hike, but it is a nice place to go for a trail run or walk the dog.  It is also very family friendly with most young kids likely having no problem completing this hike.  The trails are also well maintained and include many signs that will help hikers avoid wrong turns.  The Saltese Uplands are not a must do hike in the Spokane region, but it is worth checking out if you live in the area.