The Centennial Trail is a 63 mile paved trail in eastern Washington state and Idaho. This is NOT a rail-trail. Portions of the trail are on road and some sections have moderate climbs. The good news is that the trail is paved. About 38 miles are in Washington state and another 24 miles are in Idaho.
The Centennial Trail has been designated a National Recreation Trail. In Washington, the trail is managed as Centennial Trail State Park but individual jurisdictions maintain the trail. You may see the Washington state section listed as Spokane River Centennial State Park Trail to differentiate it from similarly named trails. The Idaho section is called North Idaho Centennial Trail.
Cyclists planning to ride the destination trails of Coeur d'Alene or Hiawatha often ride this trail from Spokane into Idaho and the city of Coeur d'Alene. The ride is about 40 miles. My GPS app showed almost 1100 feet of elevation gain from Spokane to Coeur d'Alene.
I rode here in September 2021. The scenery was spectacular. The shaded portions of the ride were very peaceful. Some areas had great overlooks with views of the Spokane River. One day I did an out and back from Spokane to Nine Mile Recreation Area. The next day it was a one way from Spokane, WA to Coeur d'Alene, ID.
The urban portions of the trail in Spokane's Riverfront Park and Gonzaga University were beautiful. Sculptures and other public art are mixed with manicured landscaping compliment the natural waterfalls along the river. This is the nicest urban trail that I have ridden.
A Discover Pass is required to park at trailheads within Riverside State Park, WA.
For more information check out:
Friends of the Centennial Trail
Spokane County Parks, Recreation & Golf
A portion of my ride on this trail may be found on my YouTube channel.
Riverfront Park:
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