I wrapped up the weekend by returning to Liberty Lake Regional Park for the first time this year. The park has been undergoing an extensive renovation and has been closed for the season.
When I arrived I discovered that the park was still closed. However signage at the entrance directed hikers to an alternative connection to the extensive trail system at the parks equestrian trailhead down the road about a mile. I should have checked this out sooner. The connecting trail was a gem I’ve never hiked before called the Zephyr Connector.
This trail meandered through an open pine forest for about a mile as it descended a couple of hundred feet to the main train along Liberty Creek. There were some open views of Liberty Lake and of Mica Peak on the way down.
South of the lake there are open meadows and wetlands on the floor of the valley.
At the bottom the scenery looked a lot like places I’ve hiked in central Florida. You just have to avoid seeing the mountains the other three directions.
As you head upstream the small valley closes in and you are soon walking through a thick forest. Being early October there wasn’t much water left.
This small ravine stays relatively moist throughout the year creating conditions that promote lots of moss and ferns. The track is in excellent shape and you slowly gain elevation as you follow the creek.
About two miles in from the equestrian trailhead you come to the cedar grove. There is a bench and interpretive signage here and the trail crosses the stream on a foot bridge. Immediately after the bridge, the trail climbs up the west slope of the ravine on a series of short steep switchbacks. This is were you gain most of the elevation on the hike.
At the end of the final switchback their is a nice open view back down to Liberty lake. The mountain across the Spokane Valley is Antione Peak, a place I hike and have posted about. Both the Antione Peak Conservation Area and Liberty Lake Regional Park are owned and managed by Spokane County.
After climbing out of the steep valley the trail travels along the west side and heads north and then northwest through a mature forest with large second growth trees.
At a couple of open areas high above the creek you can see across the ravine and have a view of Cable Peak on the Idaho side of the state line. The Idaho Department of Lands owns a block of land down slope that I enjoy hiking on.
As it is getting late in the season it was kind of chilly in the dense forest and even at midday the shadows are much longer than in summer. The trail ends up crossing one of the small creeks that flow together to create Liberty Creek on a small footbridge.
I almost had the place to myself. This trail is a loop trail, but I usually return the same way I came. If you take the full loop it is over a eight mile hike and the final descent to the creek is extremely steep.
After the steam crossing you continue up hill towards the waterfalls on a couple of questionable boardwalk sections. It look’s like these gems are due for a rebuild.
Then I finally make it to the roaring waterfall. What did you expect, after all it is October.
So here’s the same fall, the lower fall in spring. Much better. If you want to see waterfalls in this part of the country and really most any place in the United States, it’s best to go just after the snow melts off the trail.
Here’s the upper fall also in the spring time. This point is right at three miles in and a nice place to turn around.
On the way back I was treated to this sight. That is a bunch of lady bugs.
I also got to step over this little guy trying to soak up a little solar radiation on one of the last somewhat warm days of the year.
The entire hike worked out to be a little over six miles. The alternate trailhead added a little distance and elevation as I had to regain a couple of hundred feet right at the end of my journey. All together this made for about a twelve hundred foot elevation gain.
Liberty Lake Park is a great place to stretch my legs and its only fifteen minutes from my house. Give me Liberty or Give me Death.
I probably have made this hike over a dozen times since I moved to the Inland Northwest. There is a connector trail that traverses the north side of Mica Peak Washington and joins up with the trail system on the Mica Peak Conservation Area, yet another excellent Spokane County amenity.
