Spokane River, Boulder Beach

Just east of downtown Spokane on the north bank of the Spokane River, Boulder Beach is a great place to cool off and play around in the water on a hot summer day. The beach is named for a set of boulders sitting beneath the stairway leading down from the parking area. Kayakers use the beach as a put-in spot, and it's almost a certainty a few people will be fishing from the boulders. The river itself moves gently by, but regardless, swimmers should use adequate precaution and life preservers if wading out past standing height.

The beach itself is slightly rocky, but it's not a bad place to lay out a beach towel and enjoy the sunshine after a relaxing swim. The main drawback of the area is that it's directly across the river from a small airport, and the sound of airplanes and helicopters is almost constant. But that doesn't seem to bother the many species of waterfowl that will accompany you in the river during less busy times of use.

Parking can be limited on hot summer days. The few parking spaces above the beach can fill up fast. The Centennial Trail that runs along Spokane Valley goes past Boulder Beach and makes the area very accessible by bicycle. To keep the area clean, use the many trash bins for all garbage and consider bringing an extra garbage bag to clean up for visitors who, lacking etiquette, are less inclined to clean up after themselves. Dogs are also permitted at Boulder Beach, but they must be kept on leash at all times.