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Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883
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Then and Now: Linder’s Lodge

1968: Linder’s Lodge undergoes a $100,000 remodeling project to refurbish its overnight accommodations for up to 100 skiers in 13 rooms and two dormitories. John D. Linder, who built the lodge in 1952, said he hoped the four-level lodge, with a cafe on the first level and rooms above, would be open year-round with a major emphasis on winter sports. Between 1942 and 1952 Linder also operated a cafe and store across the road. (Spokesman-Review Photo Archives)
1968: Linder’s Lodge undergoes a $100,000 remodeling project to refurbish its overnight accommodations for up to 100 skiers in 13 rooms and two dormitories. John D. Linder, who built the lodge in 1952, said he hoped the four-level lodge, with a cafe on the first level and rooms above, would be open year-round with a major emphasis on winter sports. Between 1942 and 1952 Linder also operated a cafe and store across the road. (Spokesman-Review Photo Archives)
By Jesse Tinsley jesset@spokesman.com(509) 459-5378

The rustic Bear Creek Lodge along North Mt. Spokane Park Drive, just outside the state park, was built in 1952 but closed in 2023 and sold to the park for a new headquarters building.

Mount Spokane, at 5,887 feet, is the highest point in Spokane County. Access today comes from the same road pioneered to the top in 1909 by businessman Francis Cook, who bought the mountaintop and moved there.

Although Spokane County could not legally buy a recreational property, ski enthusiasts found a legal workaround to buy Cook’s property in 1920 and later transfer it to Washington State Parks. The park was officially dedicated in 1927.

Through the 1930s, organizations like the Spokane Ski Club, the Selkirk Ski Club and the Spokane Mountaineers each developed areas for ski hills, rope tows and jumps for the eager skiing population. The stone Vista House lodge on top of the mountain was built in 1933. A larger ski lodge on the slopes was completed in 1940.

As enthusiasm for the sport grew, John D. Linder had his own idea for a ski business.

Linder was raised on the slopes of Mount Spokane, born in 1917 to homesteading parents who logged the surrounding forests. He began logging with his father when he was 15 and then opened a roadside store just outside the park in 1942. He also worked as a park ranger.

The first chairlift on the mountain was installed in 1946. With a steady procession of skiers heading to the mountain each winter, Linder took five years to build his own ski lodge across from his store, completed in 1952.

Linder’s Lodge had a lobby and restaurant on the first floor, hotel rooms on the second and dorm-style accommodations on the top floor.

Linder also created a small ski area with a rope tow.

Linder was active in Democratic politics and ran for a state legislative seat three times. He died in 1983.

Gordon and Linda Kirk fixed up the aging lodge, added a tubing run and operated as Kirk’s Lodge from 1984 to 1996. Since then, the facility has operated under other names, most recently Bear Creek Lodge. Washington State Parks bought the property in 2023 for a new park headquarters. Early discussions have hinted that it may be demolished in favor of a modern structure.