Slavin Pond Loop

Purchased by Spokane County as part of its Conservation Futures program, Slavin Conservation Area is a link in the winter migratory flyway for many birds, where hikers, bikers and dog-walkers are likely to spot ducks, geese and owls on their winter forays.

Depart from the parking lot and follow boot-beaten tread through a fallow field. At 0.4 miles bear right at a junction, cresting a small wooded knoll before dropping to the edge of a large pond. This wetland was restored from agricultural land by Spokane Parks Recreation and Golf, and now more than 120 species of birds visit its reed-lined banks. Walk alongside sedges at the edge of the pond to a ponderosa-dotted rock knob, a perfect picnic spot.

The track briefly descends, crossing a field under several old homesteader planted trees before intersecting with an old two-track road at the base of a forested butte at 0.9 mile. Turn right and follow the old roadbed as it gradually climbs the edge of the butte. At one mile, bear right and descend along the edge of the field, entering a regenerating ponderosa pine forest at 1.3 miles. One and a half miles in, the forest opens to a small pond decorated with scattered aspens. Cross a man-made earthen dam and re-enter the trees. As the trail winds among ponderosas, exposed basalt rock and bunchgrass, it will occasionally fork; keep right, on the most well-trodden path.

At two miles the large pond once again comes into view, this time some thirty feet below the butte on which you stand. Accompanied by the honking of ducks, geese and swans, amble along the butte, enjoying peekaboo views of the pond. A little more than two and a half miles in, the trail breaks from the trees and encounters a fence, beyond which is private property. Follow the fence right entering the edge of the marshland on the north side of the pond. Three miles along, rejoin the main trail from the beginning of the hike and return to the parking lot.

Note: seasonal flooding occasionally inundates the trail at the edge of the marshland. If your boots begin to take on water, follow the drainage dike north until a crossing permits.