Work concludes on Glenrose trailhead in Dishman Hills

Spokane County recently completed work to improve parking access at the Glenrose trailhead in the Dishman Hills Conservation Area.

The Glenrose trailhead, located at 3701 S. Thierman Rd., is a gateway to more than 600 acres of open space that includes trails and wildlife.

The trailhead was closed in July for construction of a paved parking lot with 20 spaces, additional landscaping and connection of pathways for neighborhood access.

The site also now includes infrastructure to support a webcam, which will allow residents to view online if the parking lot is full before traveling to the area.

Spokane County Parks Director Doug Chase said the parks department met with Glenrose residents early in the trailhead planning process to discuss site design and mitigate impacts to the neighborhood.

“We were very excited for the opportunity to develop a trailhead,” he said. “We enjoyed working with the community to seek out input in terms of design elements (and) to try and design a trailhead to serve the needs of community and be very mindful of neighbors.”

Spokane County Commissioner Mary Kuney said discussions with the parks department began last year to address the need for a Glenrose trailhead.

Commissioners were able to identify a funding source for the $350,000 project through real estate excise taxes and maintenance funds from the county’s Conservation Futures Program.

“This has been a project that has been going on for Spokane County for several years,” she said at a ribbon-cutting ceremony Friday afternoon. “To make this happen, to give everybody the opportunity to be able to hike in these hillsides, to see the views in the distance from here – it is so important to our community.”

Chase said there were four land acquisitions through the county’s Conservation Futures Program that occurred between 2012 and 2018 – including a land donation from the Washington State Department of Natural Resources to the county – which are now part of the Dishman Hills Conservation Area.

The Conservation Futures Program was established in 1994 to preserve the county’s open spaces and is funded through a voter supported property tax as well as contributions from groups and charitable organizations.

Dishman Hills Conservancy Executive Director Jeff Lambert said the county’s Conservation Futures Program is transforming the community by preserving the wildlife habitat, while providing residents with opportunities for outdoor recreation.

The Dishman Hills Conservancy has a five-year plan to raise more than $5.7 million from private donors, state grants and conservation futures funds to acquire 1,200 additional acres and construct three trailheads, according to Lambert.

Bob Hyslop, who is president of the Glenrose Neighborhood Association, said neighbors were initially nervous when learning about trailhead construction, but working with the county’s parks department eased their concerns.

“We looked at several different designs to make sure that this was going to be comfortable for everybody involved,” he said.