Mount Spokane State Park is a 13919acre Washington state park located northeast of the city of Spokane in the Selkirk Mountains. The park surrounds 5883ft Mount Spokane as well as other peaks including 5282ft Mount Kit Carson, Beauty Mountain, and Quartz Mountain. The park receives 300in of snow annually and is home to Mount Spokane Ski and Snowboard Park and an extensive system of trails for hiking, biking, and horseback riding.HistoryThe park was dedicated with 1500 acres in 1927. During the 1930s, park roads were built by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC). Vista House was designed by architect, H. C. Bertelsen, as was the caretaker's cabin, although an earlier design for Vista House had been prepared by state park architect Charles Saunders. The caretaker's cabin was built by Elmer Highberg. Some sources state that Vista House was built by the CCC. However, according to the State of Washington's Cultural Resources Management Plan (2009), a local contractor, E.O. Fieldstad, won the contract with a "low bid of $4,693," and built Vista House. The publication states: "Its existence near the site of the Mount Spokane CCC camp may have contributed to the present impression held by many that the Vista House was constructed by the CCC."By 1993, the park had grown to 13,643 acres. As of 2015, Washington State Parks reported the park's acreage as 13,919, making it Washington's second largest park, slightly behind Riverside State Park at 14,000 acres.
