WA State Parks and Rec Commission to vote on Mount Spokane master plan

A plan meant to guide the next 20 years at Mount Spokane State Park faces its final hurdle on Thursday.

The Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission is scheduled to vote on the final master plan for the 12,444-acre park northeast of Spokane. The commission will also consider land classifications and long-term park boundaries for the park.

Washington State Parks staffers have been working for two years on the master plan, which lays out a vision for the park's future and identifies trail projects and other actions officials want to see over the next couple decades.

The agency held public meetings and planning workshops throughout 2024 and 2025 as they developed the first iteration of the plan. In October 2025, the agency released a "preferred alternative" - a shorter document that listed the major projects officials envisioned over the next 20 years.

A draft of the full plan was released for public comment in the spring. The final plan was completed in June.

Among the most notable recommendations in the plan is the demolition of the Bear Creek Lodge, a three-story rustic lodge and restaurant not far from park headquarters.

Washington State Parks bought the lodge and the property around it in 2023 for $3.1 million. Its fate was uncertain at the time, but the agency has concluded that tearing it down and building a new park gateway is the best path forward.

Some have criticized the plan to tear down the lodge, including its last owner, Sam Deal. At a meeting in April, Deal told the Parks Commission that he thought the agency had a lot of options for the building, and that it didn't need to be torn down.

State Parks officials apparently disagree. They say the building needs significant and costly work, and that it's not feasible to hire a concession company to operate it, according to a commission meeting document. It also says the building wasn't purchased for its historical value.

The plan also contemplates the future of Mount Spokane Ski and Snowboard Park, which is within the state park boundary but is operated by a separate nonprofit. Its seen as a "key component" of the park, according to the commission meeting document, and the final plan reflects input from the nonprofit but didn't include all of its recommendations.

A project list in the final plan identifies several projects for the ski hill in the coming years, beginning with replacing one of its primary chairlifts. Those improvements would be funded by the nonprofit, not state parks.

Also on Thursday, the Parks and Recreation Commission will consider authorizing the agency's director to negotiate a deal to allow the city of Spokane Valley to build a pedestrian trail and do other work on a piece of state parks property.

The meeting in Lacey, Washington, begins at 9 a.m. It will be streamed online at https://tvw.org/watch/?eventID=2026071013.

Editor's note: An earlier version of this story misstated which city the Parks and Recreation Commission is considering an easement with. It is the city of Spokane Valley.

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This story was originally published July 10, 2026 at 1:35 AM.