River guideWashington
Spokane River
Compare trips by distance, difficulty and current conditions. Open a trip for its map, directions and planning tools.
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Start with distance, then compare current scores where available.
Showing all 22 trips.
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End of mapSpokane River Water Trail
Choose a Spokane trip by its reach
The six focused guides follow changes in skill, water and access. Longer combinations stay available in the trip picker.
Upper river · Harvard to Boulder Beach
The Water Trail separates the novice-friendly Harvard–Barker Class I reach, the more experienced Barker–Mirabeau Class II run, and the mostly flatwater sections beyond Mirabeau. USGS 12419000 near Post Falls is upstream context. A 2025 technical report documented a dry reach between Barker and Sullivan, so check local water instead of relying on that upstream reading alone.
- Harvard Road to Barker Road · 2 mi · Class I
- Barker Road to Mirabeau · 4.5 mi · Class II
Lower river · Redband and TJ Meenach
Redband to TJ Meenach is a short urban option. The Water Trail describes the TJ Meenach–Plese Flats section as roughly seven miles of Class III–IV whitewater for equipped experts; less experienced paddlers should exit at TJ. The listed flows are broad paddling references, not a safe range for every boater.
- Redband Park to TJ Meenach
- TJ Meenach to Plese Flats · about 7 mi · expert Class III–IV
The City prohibits boating between the Division Street and Monroe Street bridges. Do not extend an upstream trip into that restricted corridor.
Nine Mile · flatwater above the dam
Plese Flats to the Nine Mile Dam take-out is a separate five-mile flatwater trip. The Water Trail says to exit on river left before the dam. USGS 12422500 at Spokane provides broader upstream context; dam operations and local pool conditions need a same-day check.
- Plese Flats to Nine Mile Dam · 5 mi · flatwater
Review the upper Water Trail section guide, its Water Street–Plese Flats safety guide, the Plese Flats–Nine Mile section guide, City river rules, and the 2025 low-flow observation report before choosing a trip.
River overview
Spokane River paddle planning
What to verify before you commit.
Water levels
Use the station named for the chosen section. USGS 12419000 near Post Falls gives direct flow telemetry for Harvard–Barker, while the Spokane reading is lower-river context. Neither gauge verifies the dry-prone Barker–Sullivan channel or the Nine Mile pool above its dam; inspect those places locally.
Route options
Compare all 22 Spokane River options here and open any trip’s page for its access and hazard notes. Upper Post Falls telemetry, the lower Spokane gauge, and the Nine Mile pool describe different conditions.
Difficulty
Spokane River routes here are marked hard and moderate, so choose the stretch that fits your group and conditions.
Quick answers
Spokane River paddling FAQ
Where can I paddle the Spokane River?
Start with the Water Trail’s six distinct sections: Harvard–Barker (2 miles, Class I), Barker–Mirabeau (4.5 miles, Class II), Mirabeau–Plante’s Ferry (1 mile, mostly flatwater), Plante’s Ferry–Boulder Beach (4.5 miles, mostly flatwater), TJ Meenach–Plese Flats (expert Class III–IV), and Plese Flats–Nine Mile Dam (5 miles, flatwater). Twenty other endpoint choices remain available as trip cards.
How should I check Spokane River water levels?
Use USGS 12419000 near Post Falls for the short Harvard–Barker section; it is upstream context for the rest of the upper river and does not confirm local water near Barker and Sullivan. USGS 12422500 at Spokane provides lower-river context. The TJ Meenach–Plese expert run, upper combinations beyond Barker, and the Nine Mile pool are planning-only because their conditions cannot be represented safely by one live score.
Which Spokane River route is best today?
Choose by the hardest water on the route. The Water Trail describes Barker–Mirabeau as Class II for more experienced paddlers and TJ Meenach–Plese as expert-only Class III–IV. Plese Flats–Nine Mile Dam is a separate flatwater option. The City prohibits boating between the Division and Monroe Street bridges; do not extend a trip upstream into that corridor.