It seems that every year, Spokane appears on a list of Best Places to Live or Retire. Apparently, people are learning what residents here have known forever.
Looking for a place to retire? Or an escape from the congested traffic, hustle and bustle of living in a large city?
Just this year (2025), according to The Spokane Journal of Business, Spokane made Forbes Magazine’s Top 25 Places to Retire in 2025.
And it’s no wonder. In addition to a thriving shopping, arts, and dining scene, Spokane is also known for its outstanding natural beauty and endless year-round opportunities for outdoor recreation.
If you’re looking to make a move, you really should consider Spokane. It’s a small big city that has a lot to offer.
The City of Spokane has earned every one of its places. With four distinct seasons, its weather is one of its many attractions.
Winter
Activities include downhill skiing, snowboarding, cross-country skiing, and tubing.
Mt Spokane Ski Area offers a short-trip destination to Spokane area residents, allowing for downhill skiing and snowboarding for all skill levels, cross-country (Nordic) skiing, and tubing. In the warmer seasons, Mt Spokane is an awesome place for hiking, mountain biking, and foraging for huckleberries.
If you’re up for a drive, there are four other resorts in the Inland Empire within driving distance:
Spring marks the start of our warm-weather seasons.
Take in day hikes at the numerous parks in and around town. From Dishman Hills Natural Area to Liberty Lake Loop Trail, there’s a hike for every skill level.
Riverside State Park, the most visited state park in Washington State, has year-round camping sites and trails suited for all skill levels. Bowl and Pitcher is one of the park’s most famous features, but there is much more to see and do.
The Spokane Centennial Trail Park, a nearly 40-mile trail that winds through Spokane, provides pleasant walking and biking trails. When you cross the border into Idaho, it becomes “North Idaho Centennial Trail” and continues for another 24 miles.
Riverfront Park, in the center of the city, original site of the 1974 World’s Fair, is another picturesque park just waiting for exploration. Its attractions include Looff Carrousel, Numerica Skyride, Numerica Skate Park, and lots of walking trails. More information: City of Spokane website.
Spring is also the time when many of our neighborhoods host farmers markets. There’s at least one per day of the week throughout the city. Here’s a handy list for your reference.
Summer
Spokanites celebrate summer by continuing their outdoor endeavors on the region’s lakes and rivers. There are countless spots along the Spokane River alone to provide respite from the heat, but within just a one-hour drive from city center, there are 76 lakes available for water activities.
Here is just a sample:
– Lake Spokane (aka Long Lake) is a Spokane River reservoir created by the construction of the Long Lake Dam. If you’re into fishing, canoeing, kayaking, boating, swimming, or just hanging out by a lake, this is an easy choice.
– The City of Coeur d’Alene is only about 35 minutes from Spokane and is right on Lake Coeur d’Alene itself. The city offers lots of shopping and dining opportunities, while the lake provides a fun and refreshing time in the summer heat.
– Lake Pend Oreille, a 1.5 hour drive from Spokane, is the fifth deepest lake in the United States. If you’re into camping, Farragut State Park (a former Naval Training station) is right on the lake. Take a trip into Sandpoint to enjoy small-town waterfront shopping and dining to go along with your swim at City Beach, a beautifully grassy park right on the shores of Lake Pend Oreille.
If you’re looking for something a little further from town, Priest Lake clocks in at a little over 2 hours away and offers all the lake activities you could ask for. In the winter, you also have the option of Nordic skiing.
Fall
Ah, harvest season. As the second largest city in Washington state, you might be surprised that it is surrounded by a large agricultural area with a focus on wheat, barley, and lentils.
There’s nothing better than fresh produce right from the farm, and there’s nothing fresher than the produce you pick yourself. There are many family-friendly opportunities all over the Inland Empire, offering seasonal fruit and vegetable u-pick farms.
Green Bluff is a collection of family-owned farms, just 15 minutes from downtown that offers these services beginning in mid-spring through the middle of fall. Its Harvest Season Festival has so much to offer in the way of Corn Mazes, Pumpkin Patches, and tasty Pumpkin Donuts. Several of these farms also offer You-Cut Christmas Trees, creating fun family memories to last a lifetime.
But Wait – There’s More!
This really is just the tip of the iceberg. With Spokane as your hug, there are many other destinations a short or long drive away – Oregon, Idaho, Montana, and even Canada to name a few.
