Wiildrose Goes for a Bike Ride~Children of the Sun Traditional Cache

This paved urban bike trail is 6.5 miles long. Eventually it will be 10.2 miles when complete and will connect to the Centennial Trail and the Ben Burr Trail, as well as many neighborhoods. While the North Spokane Corridor (SR 395) is a high-speed motorway, the trail runs parallel to it to provide a safe travel alternative for those preferring human power. The trail mirrors the freeway’s route, down to the changes in grade. These undulations do make for a somewhat challenging walk or ride in parts. The trail will be extended as road construction continues. Currently the anticipated corridor completion date is 2030. At present, the trailside scenery mostly consists of industrial, while providing some access to residential areas and open space. The south end of the trail right now is 2 miles north of the Centennial Trail, on Market Street.

Public help was sought in naming the trail. After names were submitted, a committee of local citizens and leaders reviewed the entries and chose the name “Children of the Sun”, which is a phrase in the Salish language tied to the meaning of “Spokane”. WSDOT then contacted the Spokane Tribe of Indians and received approval from them to use the name. The Children of the Sun medallion has been incorporated into architectural features on the NSC.

There are many other parking areas on this section of trail in the planning stages. The planning map shows them as “open”, but I checked them all, and although the paved access paths to the trail are already there, the parking areas are not. Therefore, I have not included them in this write-up.