This information is provided courtesy of Spokane County’s website.
This project was developed in partnership with the City of Spokane Parks and Recreation Department, Spokane County Parks, Recreation and Golf, Evergreen Mountain Bike Alliance (east chapter), Inland Northwest Land Conservancy, Avista Utilities, and area land owners. The goal of the project is to permanently protect approximately 250 acres of privately owned land that contains the core of the Beacon Hill Trail System through acquisition and donated conservation easements.
This project will implement the last of four “large park” recommendations identified in the 1909 Olmsted Brothers Park Plan for the City of Spokane by connecting four existing public parks (undeveloped portion of Esmeralda Golf Course, Minnehaha Park, John H. Shields Park, and Camp Sekani Park) to create The John H. Shields Park, a jointly managed regional park totaling 550 acres. This project also preserves the 46-mile Beacon Hill Trail System, one of the largest in Washington State.
The John H. Shields Park Master Plan was completed in 2022 as part of the Make Beacon Hill Public (MBHP) Phase 1 project, and the County is currently partnering with the City of Spokane to implement Phase 2 improvements. Phase 2 Improvements focus on expanded trailhead parking, improved safety measures, an accessible trail, and a boulder play space.
Upcoming Milestones:
- Design – Underway
- Permitting – Underway
- Construction Begins – Fall 2024
- Construction Complete – Fall 2025
Past Milestones:
- AHBL selected as the Design Team – Spring 2023
- Funding approved – Spring 2023
- Completion of the Master Plan – Fall 2021
Project Funding:
The project received $1,060,000 in Washington Recreation and Conservation Office (RCO) grant funds along with $1,074,000 from the City of Spokane and Spokane County public dollars. There have been $185,000 in private donations towards the project. The City of Spokane and the County both recently approved additional funding to complete the project, bringing the City of Spokane’s contribution to a total of $839,000 and Spokane County’s contribution to $800,000.
Inland Northwest Land Conservancy’s Contribution:
In 2022, $1.5 million in RCO grants were received to fund the purchase of 160 acres. Inland Northwest Land Conservancy and Avista secured conservation easements of another 87 acres all within the Beacon Hill area for public use.
To see a map of the trail system at Beacon, visit this page.
Project Area Map (Above)
The map above shows the active properties in the Make Beacon Public project.
Conceptual Map (Below)
The map below shows what the Beacon Hill complex could look like in the future.
