The Very Scenic Route to Spokane

There are … more direct … ways to get from Poulsbo to Spokane, but I’m not one to let the shortest distance between two points get in the way of a good time.

The primary point of this trip was to visit Fields Spring State Park, which is in the very southeastern corner of Washington state.

I had been through some nearby parts of the state before and was long curious about what the adjoining part of Oregon was like … so …

With a long weekend ahead of me, I set out to find out. My route took me on the interstate as far as La Grande, Oregon, and then onto rural roads veering back northward into Washington.

That’s where it started to get interesting.

south of Minam, Oregon

Telephone · Wallowa, Oregon

Heading north out of Enterprise, Oregon, they want you to know it’s a long way to the next traces of civilization.

Next Gas 79 Miles · Enterprise, Oregon

In case you missed that sign, they remind you again two miles out of town …

Next Gas 77 Miles · north of Enterprise, Oregon

Undaunted, I proceeded through farmland and then along the edges of some very scenic canyons.

north of Enterprise, Oregon

Joseph Canyon Viewpoint, south of Flora, Oregon

Eventually, the route descended into the canyon. Here it is only a couple miles south of the state line.

State Route 3, north of Paradise, Oregon

State Route 3, north of Paradise, Oregon

And then, having crossed the state line, it winds back uphill into Washington:

State Route 129, south of Anatone, Washington

State Route 129, south of Anatone, Washington

State Route 129, south of Anatone, Washington

State Route 129, south of Anatone, Washington

State Route 129, south of Anatone, Washington

Gas stations: zero · Anatone, Washington

Parks visited on this trip:

• Fields Spring State Park
• Spokane Plains Battlefield Historical State Park
• Riverside State Park