Day Tripping 2, May 2023 Part 1

DAYTRIPPING PART2 DAYTRIPPING PART2

EVEN MORE DESTINATIONS AROUND THE REGION YOU CAN VISIT ON THE CHEAP

FRIDAY, MAY 19, 2023

The natural wonders of the Inland Northwest offer a wealth of summer adventures located within easy reach of our homes.

Readers of the Lewiston Tribune and Moscow-Pullman Daily News reacted with overwhelming support this time last year as we rolled out the first edition of this publication, Daytripping. We asked you to let us know what you thought of the section that follows the premise of places to go and things to do for the cost of little more than a tank of gas.

As promised, with your support, this is the second edition of Daytripping, which features 15 destinations that you can travel to and return home from all while forking out little more than the cost of fueling up your automobile.

Mind you, the cost of fuel is nothing to sneeze at again this summer travel season, but the trips featured in the following pages are worth the time and expense.

A few of the highlights of this special section include:

 The Lochsa Historical Ranger Station northeast of Kooskia. The log structure was built in 1925 and originally was used as a backcountry ranger station by the U.S. Forest Service. In 1976, the station was formally dedicated as an interpretive site, as part of the nation’s Bicentennial Celebration.

 A drive along Snake River Road south of Asotin offers a scenic path to Heller Bar, where the Grande Ronde and Snake rivers meet.

 The Giant Cedar Grove Trailhead, located on the Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forest north of Elk River. It marks the beginning of a paved and accessible trail where hikers can see the “Champion Tree of Idaho.”

Read on to find out about these trips and more. And, again, let us know what you think. There might be a third edition of Daytripping come this time next year.

Clohessy is managing editor of the Lewiston Tribune and Moscow-Pullman Daily News. He can be reached at cclohessy@ lmtribune.com or (208) 848-2251.

DAYTRIPPING STAFF

Editor and Publisher NATHAN ALFORD: (208) 848-2208 / alford@lmtribune.com

Marketing director DOUG BAUER: (208) 848-2269 / dbauer@lmtribune.com

Managing editor... CRAIG CLOHESSY: (208) 848-2251 / cclohessy@lmtribune.com

City editor.....................MATT BANEY: (208) 848-2262 / mbaney@lmtribune.com

Photo editor AUGUST FRANK: (208) 848-2210 / afrank@lmtribune.com

Production editor DALLAS MARSHALL: (208) 848-2232 / dmarshall@lmtribune.com Extra

1. Lewiston-Clarkston Valley trail system

2. Heller Bar

3. Fields Spring State Park

4. Wenatchee Guard Station

5. Tucannon Lakes and W.T. Wooten Wildlife Area

6. Trail of the Coeur d’Alenes

7. Mary McCroskey State Park

8. Potlatch Train Depot

9. Spring Valley Reservoir

10. Giant Cedar Grove Trail

11. Weippe Prairie/Musselshell Meadows

12. Heart of the Monster

13. Lochsa Historic Ranger Station

14. Tolo Lake

15. Heavens Gate Lookout and Windy Saddle

At the heart of the L-C Valley

Trail system along Snake and Clearwater rivers offers residents an outdoor respite

By ELAINE WILLIAMS FOR DAYTRIPPING

A quartet of pelicans soared over the Clearwater River on a recent Sunday near its confluence with the Snake River. Minutes later, a rainbow materialized in the sky roughly where the birds had just flown.

As the rainbow’s colors grew more brilliant, pedestrians along the Lewiston Levee Parkway stopped, almost in unison as if they were being choreographed, and stared in wonder before grabbing their cellphones to take pictures.

Such moments so intense they bring a small part of the world to a standstill are what draw hundreds to the Lewiston Levee Parkway and its counterpart, the Greenbelt just across the state line in neighboring Clarkston.

The 19 miles of paved trails a short distance from the homes of many Lewiston, Clarkston and Asotin residents are the area’s not-sosecret healthy addiction.

In Idaho, the paths go from Hells Gate State Park and into and through Lewiston. A lesser-known leg of the system runs east of Lewiston on the north side of the Clearwater River, often paralleling U.S. Highway 12/95.

It’s a place of chance encounters with friends; 15-minute, fresh-air breaks from work; and walks on weekends when schedules crowded by family commitments and chores put hikes at more remote destinations out of reach.

Located at Idaho’s lowest elevation, the accessible outdoor space has surprisingly diverse amenities in one of the mildest climates of a mountainous state.

195 95

Lewiston-Clarkston Valley Trail System

Clarkston

Asotin

ABOVE: A dog walker moves down the Lewiston Levee Parkway Trail as the setting sun peeks under a layer of dark clouds, creating one starburst in the sky and another in the water in a photo from September 2021. The trails along the rivers are a favorite destination for residents of the Lewiston-Clarkston Valley. BELOW: Kids cast long shadows as they roller skate along the Greenbelt Walkway under the Southway Bridge in Clarkston in December 2020.

Bicycling, walking and running are permitted on the paths that offer expansive views of the two rivers and the Lewiston Hill.

Nature mingles with commerce here: From a single vantage point, it’s sometimes possible to see pelicans and mallard ducks, as well as grain silos and overnight cruise ships.

Those birds are part of the rotating cast of wildlife that can also include heron, coots, deer, osprey, mink, otters and bald eagles.

Kiwanis Park in Lewiston and Swallows Park in Clarkston. Families gather to celebrate graduations, weddings and reunions at picnic table shelters.

Lewiston

It’s where people gather for beloved annual events such as the Seaport River Run and a Pearl Harbor remembrance ceremony. It’s one of the best spots to view Community Spirit Fireworks on July 4 and the Lighted Boat Parade during the holiday season.

Throughout the year, boaters launch their vessels at ramps adjacent to the trails. Children swing, slide and climb at playgrounds at

More intense forms of activity are available too. East of Lewiston’s railroad bridge, fitness enthusiasts can test their strength and endurance on equipment such as a rowing machine, monkey bars and balance beams on springs. They can also improvise fat-burning workouts on stairs at Chestnut Street in Clarkston, and Kiwanis Park and near the Railroad

Bridge, both in Lewiston.

Whatever brings people to the paths, chances are high they’ll return again and again if they live in the area. If you don’t know why, ask a local. 

> Lewiston-Clarkston Valley trail system

LOCATION: LewistonClarkston Valley. Lewiston parking lots are along Snake River Avenue and the Levee Bypass. Clarkston parking lots are just north of the Interstate Bridge on the east end of Chestnut Street and off Washington State Route 129.

WHAT TO DO: Bicycle, picnic, fish or walk. (One popular route is “walking the bridges,” which often starts from the Southway boat launch in Lewiston or the Clarkston boat launch just north of Interstate Bridge.)

DIFFICULTY (1-5 SCALE): 1 if you’re walking on a mild day and 3 if you’re stair running in 90-degree temperatures.

NEARBY SITES OF INTEREST: Downtown Lewiston and Asotin; Locomotive Park in Lewiston, home to the Winter Spirit light display; and Clarkston’s commercial district.

Photos by August Frank/for Daytripping

Lewiston

Asotin ONFields Spring State Park

Austin Johnson/for Daytripping

WABOVE: Signs illustrating some of the activities and the distance to Puffer Butte stand near the entrance of the North Trailhead at Fields Spring State Park in Asotin County near Anatone. BELOW: Evergreen trees stretch as far as the eye can see atop Puffer Butte in Fields Spring State Park.

PART2

On the cover

Britnee Waters, a nursing student at Lewis-Clark State College, approaches the summit of Puffer Butte on May 5 in Fields Spring State Park. Every season has something to offer at Fields Spring, from Nordic skiing and snowshoeing in the winter to hiking and overnight camping in summer. Photo by Austin Johnson

in

, for Daytripping.

A good destination for those exploring the Blues

Wenatchee Guard Station offers scenery and activities — and

Pomeroy

As OREGON

Wenatchee Guard Station

An area that isn’t lacking for lakes

W.T. Wooten Wildlife

Area south of Pomeroy boasts eight human-made lakes, which are stocked with plenty of catchable fish

By MATT BANEY FOR DAYTRIPPING

For those who are superstitious anglers, the Tucannon Lakes might be a good place to wet their next line.

Why? If they aren’t getting good vibes from one body of water, they can just move on to the next one. There are eight of them to choose from.

The man-made lakes are located on the W.T. Wooten Wildlife Area in southeastern Washington, in a crevasse of the Blue Mountains. The lakes, which were formed in the 1950s by damming the Tucannon River, are stocked with rainbow trout, which are generally catchable for the young, the old and even the unlucky.

The lakes are south of Pomeroy and can be accessed via Tucannon Road. They are, from north to south, Spring, Blue, Rainbow, Watson, Bea-

> Tucannon Lakes and W.T. Wooten Wildlife Area

LOCATION: About 1 mile west of Pomeroy on U.S. Highway 12, turn south on Tatman Mountain Road, which becomes Linville Gulch Road, then Blind Grade Road. Finally, turn left on Tucannon Road, which leads to the first of eight lakes.

DIFFICULTY (1-5 SCALE): 2.

DON’T FORGET: Washington fishing license, fishing gear, snacks.

DID YOU FORGET THE SNACKS?: The Last Resort RV park, which travelers pass just before reaching the Tucannon Lakes, has a small store, as well as cabins, RV spots, tent sites and other amenities.

ver, Deer, Curl and Big 4. All of them are relatively small, with the largest being 7.8 acres. They are also close to each other, with Spring Lake, the one farthest north, just 5.5 miles from Big 4 Lake, the one farthest south.

The lakes are open yearround, other than Curl, and the best fishing is said to be in March through May or in the fall. Most of the lakes have boat launches, but a boat isn’t required to make a haul. (And motorized boats aren’t allowed.)

Anglers will need a Washington fishing license, as well

as a Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife vehicle access pass (which comes with the fishing license) or a Discovery Pass to park. Spring, Rainbow, Watson, Big Four and Curl lakes all offer restrooms in their parking areas.

On holiday weekends, the lakes can get busy, with more than half of the visitors generally coming from the Tri-Cities. But it’s also a close destination for people coming from the east, with the trip from Pomeroy to Spring Lake

taking about 25 minutes.

The W.T. Wooten Wildlife Area is a 16,000-acre unit was formed in the 1940s. Its primary management emphasis is big game winter range, fish habitat, recreational fishing and camping.

Camp Wooten State Park is a well-appointed camping option that can accommodate 240 overnight guests. It features a mess hall; appliances; a walk-in cooler, refrigerators and freezers; separate cabins; and restrooms and shower

Placid waters show off Rainbow Lake on a sunny and calm April 27 in the W.T. Wooten Wildlife Area.

Austin Johnson/for Daytripping

facilities. There’s even an indoor pool.

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on

195 Asotin

Pomeroy 12 Tucannon Lakes and W.T. Wooten Wildlife Area

L Clarkston

ASHINGTON

Austin Johnson/For Daytripping

RIGHT: Fishing enthusiasts line the shore of Spring Lake on April 27 in the W.T. Wooten Wildlife Area. Spring Lake is one of eight lakes lining the Tucannon River as it winds through the wildlife area. LEFT: Caught rainbow trout hang from Brian Bruner’s fishing chain ready to welcome one more trout to the group April 27 at Spring Lake in the W.T. Wooten Wildlife Area.

It had been for rail — now it’s a trail

Trail of the Coeur d’Alenes offers 73 miles of cycling and walking along a paved route that was once a railroad

By MONICA CARRILLO-CASAS FOR DAYTRIPPING

A 73-mile paved trail that runs along a lake, a river and into the mountains between the small Idaho towns of Plummer and Mullan — perfect for walkers, avid cyclists and even snowshoers during the winter season.

This is the Trail of the Coeur d’Alenes.

Named one of 25 top trails in 2010 by Rails to Trails Conservancy, the Trail of the Coeur d’Alenes has been a favorite nationally and locally.

The trail was built on a former railroad route and opened in 2004. It was created by a partnership between the Union Pacific Railroad, the state of Idaho, the Coeur d’Alene Tribe and the U.S. government for environmental cleanup. This innovative solution helps solve environmental problems caused by years of mining and railroad use dating back to the late 1800s.

The western starting point of the trail is in Plummer, within a stone’s throw of U.S. Highway 95. Traveling east, the trail eventually reaches Chatcolet Lake, which it crosses via a bridge that is dedicated to the trail. The route then meanders north along Lake Coeur d’Alene’s shore before veering east and tagging along with the Coeur d’Alene River through the Silver Valley until reaching the trailhead at Mullan.

This scenic trail is open year-round for those who want to have a nice walk with a view and is even groomed for snowmobile traffic in between areas of Wallace and Mullan. This allows for cross-country skiing as well.

Because this trail is nearly flat, anyone who has younger children won’t have a problem with steep hills or concerns of tricky walking areas. And if your kid gets hungry, there are restaurants near both ends of the trails. Picnic tables and benches are also available for resting or eating along the way.

There are 20 trailheads along the route, so users have their choice of what part of the trail they want to experience.

This trail does not allow hunting or trapping, discharge of firearms, camping or campfires. It also prohibits

An angler casts a fishing line into Chatcolet Lake alongside Trail of the Coeur d’Alenes.

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Trail of the Coeur d’Alenes

LOCATION: The Plummer trailhead near U.S. Highway 95 is the nearest access to people traveling from north central Idaho or southeastern Washington.

WHAT YOU’LL DO: Cycling and walking — or snowshoeing in the winter.

DIFFICULTY (1-5 SCALE): It can vary. Most of the trail provides easy walking and cycling, but anyone who wants to travel the entire trail needs to plan ahead.

MOST POPULAR SECTION: Harrison to Chatcolet Bridge is the most popular section for families. This part of the trail travels along Lake Coeur d’Alene.

horses and fireworks near the trail.

The Trail of the Coeur d’Alenes is managed by the Idaho Department of Parks and Recreation and the Coeur d’Alene Tribe. 

Zach Wilkinson/for Daytripping Chatcolet Lake is seen behind a cyclist riding along Trail of the Coeur d’Alenes. The 73-mile trail was built on a former railroad route and opened in 2004.

Zach Wilkinson/ for Daytripping

A gift to a pioneering mother, and the state of Idaho

By ANTHONY KUIPERS FOR DAYTRIPPING

The man who gave the public McCroskey State Park in Idaho did so in honor of his beloved mother, and he cared for it until his final days.

The 5,300-acre park sits on a mountain north of Potlatch just off U.S. Highway 95. There is one access road, Skyline Drive, that snakes its way through the park and gives adventurers access to trails, camping spots, cedar forests and spectacular views of the Palouse.

Talmage McCroskey, who lived on a family farm outside Oakesdale, Wash., close to the Idaho border where

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the state of Idaho. Come see for yourself and discover all the ways you can enjoy your public lands!

Minerva McCroskey. In the late 1800s,

McCroskey State Park is a testament to a man who loved his family, nature and recreation

Zach Wilkinson/for Daytripping

off

Highway 95. The land was donated