#2 Manito Park

Spokane's Best Parks -

Manito Park is so big and diverse, you’re gonna’ need a map. The heart of Spokane’s South Hill, it’s a tough call placing Manito at number two on Spokane’s Best Parks list. It’s more than just a recreational space, it’s a destination. And it’s more than just a destination, it’s what makes Spokane, Spokane. Without it, the City would be a lesser place.

Although Manito Park does have several obvious hard boundaries (such as Grand Blvd.), much of it flows into and out of surrounding neighborhoods so seamlessly you hardly know when you’ve left. Dense tree-lined streets and wide boulevards jet out of Manito Park in all directions. Historic old homes are woven into the park boundaries in a manner that would make Frank Lloyd Wright blush. The lower reaches of the park begin on 17^th Avenue and are marked by a giant rock outcrop similar in many ways to Cliff Park. But where Cliff Park is simply just a rock outcrop, Manito Park’s giant rock is but an insignificant destination given all of the amenities to explore.

As you traverse deeper into Manito, it’s vast greens and rolling hills open up to you. A large playground area and even larger pond fill the scope of Manito’s lower reaches. Above them, a mild bluff separates the upper gardens and playfields. As you traverse up the hill, old basalt retaining walls, footbridges, and natural areas signal that you’re now entering a different environment, and the feel of Manito starts to change. Now you have choices to make. Explore the Rose Gardens or wander over to the Lilac Gardens? But then there are the Japanese Gardens, English classical Duncan Gardens, or the Perennial Garden? There is much to explore.

Continuing up the hill, you spot the Geyser Conservatory. This is a large greenhouse, open year-round, that allows the Spokane’s Parks Department to really spotlight their botanic versatility. It’s particularly spectacular during the Holidays.

Beyond the gardens and the greenhouse is upper Manito, which could easily be a park unto itself. Here you’ll find another playground, ball fields, and a children’s swimming area.

Manito Park’s Amenities

• Duncan (English) Garden
• Japanese Gardens
• Perennial Garden
• Rose Garden
• Lilac Garden
• Ball Fields
• Kids Swimming Area
• Two Playgrounds
• Tennis Courts
• Giant Rock Outcrops
• A Year-Round Greenhouse
• A Duck Pond
• Children's  Swim Area
• Natural Areas with Trails
• Expansive Tree-Lawns

(Featured photo courtesy of Timothy Eberly on Unsplash)