Imagine a place where nearly every type of outdoor recreation activity is possible. Now imagine it’s right in your backyard…well, almost. This year Riverside State Park is celebrating their third annual “open house” on Saturday May 22, 2004. It’s called REC the Park, it’s free to everyone, and it’s going to be a lot of FUN!

Riverside State Park spans over 10,000 acres, most of which is within view of the Spokane and/or Little Spokane Rivers. Along with the beauty of these rivers comes water and land trails, an Off Road Vehicle Park, the Centennial Trial, the Little Spokane River Natural Area, the Bowl & Pitcher, day use areas, two campgrounds, a suspension bridge, the Spokane House Interpretive Center, and many wonderful opportunities for outdoor recreation.

The day will be filled with several different events, which are listed below:

Remember all of the events are free (including parking). The hardest part is going to be deciding which ones you want to participate in. Please come prepared for the activity and bring any other needs you may have.

We hope that with the variety of activities offered there will be something for all types of outdoor enthusiasts. We want everyone to realize that Riverside State Park truly is your place to recreate and a place where memories are made. Please join us for this day of fun. For more information call (509)465-5064.

Jack Hartt left Riverside State Park last November to manage Deception Pass State Park on Whidbey Island. We have invited the new park manager, Rene Wiley, to introduce herself and discuss her goals for the park.

Born in Spokane, and raised just outside of Cheney, Washington. I grew up in a large family with four sisters and one brother. Growing up in the country fostered an appreciation of all living things, and the feeling of freedom that comes from open spaces. Our family vacations consisted of camping, hiking, and rafting. We often camped in primitive, remote areas where my parents introduced us to the wonders of nature, the art of building a fire, and the joy of smores.

I graduated from Cheney High School in 1983, and then attended EWU to obtain a BA in Recreation Management. While putting myself through college I was lucky enough to work at REI alongside then Parks Commissioner Anne Cox. Anne inspired me to attend Skagit Valley Ranger Academy in hopes of becoming a Park Ranger.

In 1991 I began my career with Parks as a Ranger 1 at Sun Lakes State Park. Since then I have worked at many parks including Steamboat Rock, Riverside, and most recently Ocean City State Park as the Park Manager. Each park has taught me valuable lessons, personally and professionally. Riverside has always intrigued me with its many challenges and abundance of recreational recourses. I feel lucky to be a part of its success and future.

As the manager, I hope to promote and facilitate appreciation for our resources and recreation, implement management plans where needed, incorporate limits of acceptable change for protection and proper use of the resources. I am an advocate for conservation and wildlife protection and enhancement. I believe recreation has the ability to improve everyone’s quality of life, and staff is here to ensure every one feels welcome and is greeted with facilities and grounds that are clean, safe, and of top notch quality. Riverside staff is known throughout the agency as being professional, vision oriented, and supportive of parks mission and goals. I am proud to be a part of the Riverside team, and look forward to working with the staff and the community.

As foundation members and contributors to the continuing development of Riverside State Park a “freeway” through the park is no small news. The muddled social trail systems as a continuing problem was addressed by Jack Hart former Park Manager. Before Hart left he ensured, with the help of the Riverside State Park Foundation that a trail system was to be established. The main objective was the revival, signage and mapping of the 25mile trail, an early equestrian trail of the park as the “Freeway” or main route that would circumvent the entire park. In addition to this was the need for the identification, marking and mapping of sub-trails throughout the park to create a trail identification system.

The Park happened upon a WCC and Americorps grant that enabled them to hire a crew of three to undertake this task as well as a committed $1750 form the foundation to assist with the purchasing of materials. There was a vision, there were the resources but who would trail hunt in the dead of winter?

The answer came in the form of three local recreation students, Chad Johnson, Shelia King and Rob Kennedy. These three called the “WCC Crew” were hired in early October and began putting into reality the 25 mile trail project. They identified two major phases of this project.

Phase I was the identifying, mapping and signing of the 25mile and sub-trails. This was no small feat considering the amount of snow and cold weather we experienced this winter season. First, the team used a GPS to initially identify the trails, and then used a GIS software program to put the latitudinal and longitudinal data into a visual context so a map could be made. Then, the numbering system was established for the sub-trails, the signs designed, ordered and constructed. As you may have noticed posts have been appearing throughout the park with a 25 and a directional arrow which illustrate the path of the 25 mile trail. The sub-trail system will be similar with the beginning and end-points numerically marked and a directional arrow. Throughout this process the WCC crew brainstormed limitless possibilities for the RSP trail system which was formulated in a proposed Phase II.

Phase II includes the construction of informational kiosk’s at key access points along the trail with trail map and information for visitors. Also, Phase II includes the addition of informational placards at interesting interpretive sights along the trail that would allow the 25mile trail to serve as an interpretive tour or “Freeway” throughout the park for hikers, bikers, horseback riders and the like. In addition to the monetary and moral support of the Foundation, local Boy scouts played a major role in the construction of and erection of many posts throughout the 25mile trail this spring.

Though the WCC grant is up and the trail project not completed, the hope of the WCC crew is that the project plans left behind and the IAC grant the WCC wrote and applied for will enable another team to finish the remaining posts for Phase I and the undertaking of Phase II.