Blackwell Island Recreation Site

Parking. There is a large, paved and striped parking area with room for 130 vehicles with trailers and 34 single cars. The car spots are along the east edge of the parking lot, adjacent to the group picnic pavilion and individual picnic pads. Four trailer spaces and 4-5 single-car spaces are designated as accessible, with access aisles for vehicles with a side ramp. Concrete sidewalks provide accessibility around the perimeter of the lot.

Cell phone reception. Cell phone reception is strong.

Fee-payment stations. Payment kiosks and automated fee machines (credit card readers) sit on paved surfaces on the western side of the parking lot, near the boat launch lanes, and on the eastern side, near the picnic pavilion.

Toilets. There is an accessible, restroom facility near the boat launch area with 8 flush toilets, 4 on the women’s side and 4 on the men’s. Each restroom has a sink and accessible stall with handrails near the commode. In addition, an accessible double vault toilet sits near the picnic pavilion.

Drinking water. The site has 3 accessible drinking fountains: 1 next to the flush restroom facility on the west end of the site, and 2 along the sidewalk bordering the single-car parking area on the east end of the site.

Picnic areas. The reservable pavilion has room for up to 50 people. It covers a concrete pad with 4-6 accessible picnic tables with extended tops to accommodate wheelchair users. There are also 4 accessible group grills.

Near the pavilion there are another 8 first-come, first-served concrete picnic pads. The most easily accessible picnic pads are the 4 that are closest to the 5-foot-wide sidewalk and have a concrete pathway to them. The other 4 picnic pads, while accessible, are farther off the main sidewalk in a grassy area. Each pad has a picnic table with an extended top and an accessible grill. An additional 5 picnic pads with accessible tables and grills are located near the boat launch area, at the far west end of the site. These pads are all connected to the main sidewalk by concrete paths. Trash receptables are scattered across the site.

Boat launch and docking area. A paved path leads from the parking lot to the boat launch lanes and docking area. Two concrete ramps with handrails allow mobility device users to transition from the parking area to the launch lanes. These ramps, like all surfaces at the site, have a slope of 2 percent or less.

Boardwalk. A ¼-mile-long wooden boardwalk loops from the northwest corner of the parking lot to the northeast corner. It passes through wetlands between the Spokane River to the north and the developed site to the south. Along the boardwalk are 3 viewing platforms with protective railings, several benches without arms, and 4-5 interpretive panels.

Native plant garden. At the south end of the site, visitors can use packed-gravel pathways to move through a native plant garden. These pathways, which form an 1/8-mile loop, may be challenging, depending on the weather or uneven surfaces caused by erosion. The garden has several benches without arms.

NOTE: Descriptions and photos uploaded February 2025. Please note that actual on-the-ground conditions may vary due to natural events (e.g., weather, wildfires, erosion), normal wear and tear, or site improvements.