Eastern Washington

Updated October 3, 2026

Eastern Washington runs from the wheat country of Adams and Lincoln counties east to Spokane and the Idaho line, south through the rolling Palouse to Pullman, and north into the forested Selkirk Mountains and the Pend Oreille country. Spokane, the state’s second largest city, is its center.

7 counties: Adams · Ferry · Lincoln · Pend Oreille · Spokane · Stevens · Whitman
See all six regions on the map

Seven counties make up the region on the state road map: Adams, Ferry, Lincoln, Pend Oreille, Spokane, Stevens and Whitman. That puts Spokane, Pullman and Cheney in the same region as the Palouse, Lake Roosevelt and the mountain lakes of the northeast corner.

Use this page as the index. If you know where you are headed, start with a town guide. If you are going somewhere smaller, scroll down to the towns without a guide of their own, where every coffee shop, market, museum, golf course and local business we list is filed under its town.

What Eastern Washington is known for

Riverfront Park and Spokane Falls

The site of Expo ’74, built around the falls of the Spokane River right in downtown, with a gondola over the water.

Visit Riverfront Park

Manito Park

Spokane’s formal gardens on the South Hill: a Japanese garden, a rose garden and a conservatory, free to walk.

Visit Manito Park

The Palouse

Rolling wheat hills that change color with the seasons. Steptoe Butte is the classic viewpoint over them.

Explore the Palouse

Lakes around Spokane

Dozens of lakes within an hour of the city for paddling, fishing and swimming.

Find a lake near Spokane

Mount Spokane

The state park and ski area half an hour from downtown, with summer trails and long views.

Spend a day at Mount Spokane

The Pend Oreille country

Forested river valley in the northeast corner, best seen from the river and the Selkirk foothills.

Ride the Pend Oreille river train

Green Bluff

A farm loop north of Spokane with u pick fruit, cider and pumpkin patches from summer into fall.

Visit Green Bluff

Fort Spokane and Lake Roosevelt

An old army fort on the long reservoir behind Grand Coulee Dam, with beaches and campgrounds along the shore.

Spend a day at Fort Spokane

When to go

Spring

Green wheat on the Palouse, lilacs in Spokane and waterfalls running high.

Summer

Lake season in every direction from Spokane, and golden hills on the Palouse before harvest.

Fall

Harvest on the Palouse, apples and pumpkins at Green Bluff, and larches turning in the northeast mountains.

Winter

Skiing at Mount Spokane and 49 Degrees North, and the holiday lights in downtown Spokane.

Getting around

By car: I-90 crosses the region to Spokane and the Idaho line. US 395 runs north to Colville and Kettle Falls, and US 195 runs south to Colfax and Pullman.
By air: Spokane International is the main airport, and Pullman Moscow Regional serves the Palouse.
By train: Amtrak’s Empire Builder stops in Spokane.
Before you go: winter driving, smoke and fire closures change plans here. Check our conditions page first.

Eastern Washington town guides

Pullman

Where rolling wheat fields stretch to every horizon and Cougar spirit fills every corner of downtown, Pullman…

2 listings in our directories

Republic

Washington's fossil capital, where you can dig your own 50 million year old plant impressions in the morning…

2 listings in our directories

Spokane

Washington's second largest city built itself where the Spokane River drops through basalt canyon in a…

33 listings in our directories

Locals on the podcast

Conversations from the Exploring Washington State Podcast with people who live here.

Brian Muegge’s Spokane: the city from a local.
Spokane built the Dodgers dynasty: the city’s place in baseball history.
The 1946 Spokane Indians: a team story the city never forgot.
Silver Bow Fly Shop: fly fishing around Spokane.
Dry Fly Distilling: craft spirits from Spokane’s farmland.
Liberty Ciderworks: cider made in Spokane.

Eastern Washington towns

These towns do not have a full guide yet. Everything we list in each one is right here, grouped by county.

Adams County

Lind

Adams County Historical Society Museum

Othello

Othello Golf Course Golf course

Ritzville

Ferry County

Curlew

Husky Car and Truck Museum Museum
The Ansorge Hotel Museum

Malo

Antique Car and Truck Museum Museum

Lincoln County

Pend Oreille County

Newport

Pend Oreille County Museum Museum

Spokane County

Cheney

Cheney Depot Society Museum
Cheney Historical Museum Museum

Deer Park

Deer Park Golf Club Golf course

Elk

Museum of Robots; Robot Hut Museum

Liberty Lake

Liberty Lake Farmers Market Farmers market

Rockford

Rockford Area Museum Museum

Spokane Valley

Flag Museum Museum
Spokane Valley Heritage Museum Museum
Spokane Valley Farmers Market Farmers market

Stevens County

Colville

Stevens County Historical Society Museum
Dominion Meadows Golf Club Golf course

Kettle Falls

Kettle Falls Public Library Museum
Saint Paul’s Mission Museum

Whitman County

Albion

Dee Harrison Museum Museum

Colfax

Whitman County Library Museum
Colfax Golf and Country Club Golf course

Oaksdale

McCoy Valley Museum Museum

Palouse

Chatters Newspaper Museum Museum

Rosalia

Battle Days Museum Museum

Saint John

St. John Golf Course Golf course

Tekoa

Tekoa Museum Museum
Tekoa Golf Course Golf course

Coffee roasters in Eastern Washington

Shops in our coffee directory that roast their own beans.

First Avenue Coffee Spokane

Eastern Washington state parks and rest areas

Parking at a Washington State Park needs a Discover Pass: $45 a year or $10 a day. How the Discover Pass works and where to buy it.

State parks (10)

Rest areas (9)

Everything we list in Eastern Washington

Questions people ask

What counties are in Eastern Washington?

On the state road map, seven: Adams, Ferry, Lincoln, Pend Oreille, Spokane, Stevens and Whitman. In everyday talk, people use Eastern Washington for everything east of the Cascades.

What are the biggest cities in Eastern Washington?

Spokane is the largest and the second largest city in the state. Spokane Valley comes next, then Pullman, Cheney and Liberty Lake.

Is Walla Walla in Eastern Washington?

Most people would say yes. The state map puts Walla Walla County in South Central Washington, along with Yakima and the Tri-Cities.

Is the Palouse in Eastern Washington?

Yes. Most of the Washington Palouse is in Whitman County, around Pullman and Colfax, and it continues across the line into Idaho.

Which Eastern Washington towns are worth a stop?

Colfax, Davenport, Ritzville, Kettle Falls and Newport are good places to start. The towns section above lists every town we cover that does not have its own guide yet.

Do I need a pass to visit the parks here?

Washington State Parks, including Mount Spokane and Steptoe Butte, need a Discover Pass. Lake Roosevelt is a national recreation area with its own fees.

Counties

Adams County · Ferry County · Lincoln County · Pend Oreille County · Spokane County · Stevens County · Whitman County

Explore Washington's other regions

Region boundaries come from the Washington State Department of Transportation, and every listing gets its region from its county. See how the six regions work.

About the Author
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Explore Washington State

Explore Washington State has been covering the real Washington for more than a decade. State parks, small towns, back roads, rest stops, and the people who make this place worth exploring. What started as a hyperlocal project covering individual communities grew into a full media project with more than 340 podcast episodes, a weekly newsletter with over 5,700 subscribers, and coverage of all 146 Washington State Parks. The content here comes from people who have actually been to these places: locals, regulars, and lifelong Washington residents who care more about getting it right than getting clicks.

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