Rediscover Your Neighborhood

In the early 1900s, the Olmsted brothers, sons of renowned landscape architect Fredrick Law Olmsted, contracted with the city of Spokane to create a park plan for the community. Their goal for the plan was that every resident of the city would be within walking distance of a park or greenspace. Amazingly, more than 100 years later, 82% of Spokane city residents and 81% of Coeur d’Alene city residents live within a 10-minute walk of a park! At no time in our history has that accessibility been more critical than it is today.

With Washington and Idaho State Parks Commission’s park closures, in accordance with Governor Inslee and Brad Little’s “Stay Home, Stay Healthy” order to slow the spread of coronavirus, residents of the Inland Northwest are searching for ways to cope with stress and anxiety, and finding those ways in the outdoors. Now, however, is not the time to travel to new trail heads or visit popular recreation spots in our community. Now is the time to rediscover your own neighborhood. While many local parks and outdoor spaces remain open, this access is contingent upon our collective responsibility as a community to maintain proper social distancing and follow CDC guidelines.

For more information about closures, regulations and recommendations from land managers for their direction on slowing the spread of COVID-19 in our region, visit:

• Department of Natural Resources
• Washington State Parks
• Spokane County Parks
• City of Spokane Parks & Recreation
• National Forest Service
• Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife
• Idaho State Parks
• City of Coeur d’Alene Parks & Recreation
• Washington Trails Association
• Idaho Trails Association

The bottom line is, if you have to get in your car to go there, you’re going too far. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram over the next couple of weeks for ideas that will help you rediscover the restoration of nature in your own back yard.