Latah Creek Paddle Tour Hatch Road To High Bridge Park

Check it out

Distance: 7-1/2 miles

Difficulty: Moderate

Paddling time: 1-1/2 to 2 hours

Season: Jan. through April and other runoff periods

Maps: USGS Spokane SW

Info: USGS Water Resources Office in Spokane, 353-2633

Paddling trip notes

Access: Put-in at bridge near junction with Hatch Road and Highway 195. Junction is 5 miles south of Interstate 90. Park vehicle north of bridge, but do not block private access to stables or residence. Beware of hazardous traffic on Hatch Road.

Take-out: From junction with Hatch Road, head north on Highway 195 about 4-1/2 miles and turn left (west) on 16th Avenue (last turn lane before reaching I-90). Road bends north and becomes Lindeke, which you follow to Sunset Highway. At stoplight, continue straight onto Government Way. Drive 1-1/3 miles and make sharp right onto Riverside. Some boaters go 1/3 mile to take-out at Latah Creek bridge. Others turn right just before bridge onto A Street. Then take first left onto dirt road into High Bridge Park. Turn left again on spur road toward river to take-out at gate near gauging station.

Attractions: During winter runoff and periods of significant rain, such as last week, this small creek in Spokane’s backyard can swell to thrilling proportions. See ravages of winter floods. Wind into several short quiet sections and under nearly vertical sand cliffs near Creek at Qualchan Golf Course.

Hazards: Put-in steep and undeveloped. Possible blowdowns. Rocks in low water. Two points of possible Class 2-plus water.

Comments: First consideration: Is there enough water? Best flows on Latah Creek tend to be late winter and periods of heavy spring rains. Flows too low for paddling much of year, especially summer. Savvy paddlers jump at chance when flows above 1,000 cubic feet per second.

Gauging whether river is floatable can be tricky for uninitiated. From northbound lane of Highway 195, check out riffle in stretch of creek that flows directly toward highway at milepost 93.3. If it looks as though canoe can float over riffle in downstream channel, paddling should be reasonably easy from put-in to High Bridge Park. At 1,300 cfs, tandem canoeists shouldn’t have to hit any rocks in riffles. If water’s clear, it’s probably too low.

More development along this stretch than on upper stretches, but plenty of wild spots, too.

First skill test of trip comes after sharp left turn upstream from Qualchan golf course, just past large, old red-brick home (on left as you face downstream). Short, rocky rapid can bounce boats in lower water; large standing wave can swamp boats in high or low water. Scout it.

Several bridges through Qualchan golf course pose little problem to alert paddlers. However, near north end of golf course, recent floods caused channel to braid into broad rocky flats. Expect to bounce or step out of canoe here in flows under 1,200 cfs. Keep right.

Pass under steep, captivating sand cliffs with caves carved by high water that scoured out large chunks of rock.

After creek makes hard right turn against Highway 195, float past mobile home court. At railroad bridge is sharp right turn (with splashy riffle) followed by hard left turn that can be tricky for some paddlers.

From here, boaters will see effect of man’s hand in straightening Latah Creek for flood control in early 1930s. Watch for rocks, particularly one large mid-stream rock just past Chestnut Street Bridge. Stay right.

Name of creek controversial for more than 100 years. In 1858, Col. George Wright ordered hanging of six to eight Indian leaders partly in retaliation for killing troops led by Col. Steptoe. Hangings took place along creek near Waverly in front of tribal members who thought they’d come to make peace. Stream, previously called Camas Prairie Creek and Latah Creek, became known as Hangman Creek.

State Legislature passed resolution for name to be changed to Latah Creek in early 1900s, arguing that “Hangman” was inconsiderate reminder of brutal executions.

Some historians believe “Latah” is corruption of “Lartow,” used in Lewis and Clark diaries to describe area where Indians camped and fished near Spokane River.

Before dams built on lower Spokane River, Latah Creek was prime salmon spawning stream and major source of food for Indian tribes.

Creek flows roughly 70 miles through farm valleys from southeast of Tensed, Idaho, through Tekoa, Wash., to confluence with Spokane River. Creek runs brown with any rain or runoff.

, DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: Map of Latah Creek Paddle Tour

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