Spokane Ghost Town

I’m always intrigued by ghost towns. The old buildings, the look of weathered wood, imagining what it was like in its heyday. When I searched for hiking trails near me, I stumbled upon Spokane Ghost Town and knew I needed to visit it.

History

So what’s the history behind this town? It was founded in 1890 to mine silver, galena, and copper, amongst other things. By 1940, it had run its course despite efforts in the next decade to revive the town. Unfortunately, it is also the site of a murder over a mining claim. In fact, within the town, you’ll find the headstone of James Shephard, the man killed over the claim.

Getting to Spokane Ghost Town

The trail starts just off of Playhouse Road. If you’re coming from Iron Mountain Road/Highway 16A, you’ll see a gate on your right shortly after turning. Unfortunately, there isn’t a parking lot, so you’ll need to park your car on the side of the road. However, there is a space for a few cars. Just make sure you aren’t blocking the gate. There aren’t any signs pointing to the trailhead so be on the lookout.

You’ll walk straight past the gate and follow the service road. There aren’t any trail markers, but you’ll know when you get there. It’s about 10-15 minutes before you’ll see some buildings.

Service road path to get to the town

Buildings and things to see

The largest one will be the old schoolhouse. There’s another building nearby which I’m assuming was some sort of building used for storage. Nearby you’ll notice a few old cars with missing wheels, covered in graffiti. Take your time and explore around. There is plenty in the area. 

  • Old schoolhouse
  • Storage building
The buildings and abandoned vehicles present when first entering the town

There is a root cellar, headstone, some wells, old foundations, crumbled buildings, and the manager’s house in the area as well. I suggest using the AllTrails app and following its path to make sure you catch all of the sites. After that, wander around and take in the town from various spots. It was foggy and raining the morning I went, which added a little extra to the experience. 

  • Back of manager’s house to the basement
  • Front of manager’s house
  • Side of manager’s house
  • Root cellar
  • Root cellar inside
  • Well

Some of the buildings are in rough shape, and wooden barriers surround the school and manager’s house. Presumably to discourage people from exploring inside the buildings. The school, in particular, is pretty dilapidated, so there’s no telling how much longer that will stand. You’ll also want to be aware that the covers to the wells aren’t on, so be careful when getting near them.

When all was said and done, I walked about 2.5 miles using the trail on AllTrails and adding in my random wandering. Plan to spend a couple of hours here, giving you plenty of time to walk around and see everything.