Revere Wildlife Area

The Revere Wildlife Area encompasses 2,291 acres in northwest Whitman County. Formerly a ranch, the State Department of Fish and Wildlife acquired it in 1992 to partially compensate for habitat lost to inundation from dams on the Snake River. The Revere unit includes grassland, shrub steppe, and scabland habitats for mule deer, coyote, badgers, and various birds. Water features include Rock Creek, seeps and springs, and other wetlands, which provide habitat for waterfowl and fish. Habitat restoration is ongoing.

From the parking area on Jordan-Knott Road, walk across the bridge and uphill about 0.2 mile, where you’ll see a metal gate on the left that keeps out unauthorized vehicles. If it’s locked, you can step over the low fence on one side or climb the gate. Hike along the gravel road, which leads past wetlands and small lakes on the right. 

At about 1.8 miles from the gate, the trail turns north and ascends past intriguing basalt outcrops, small ponds, and native bunchgrass. You’ll soon get a good view as the trail crests, then descends into the Rock Creek valley. You’ll see the remains of a rock wall and curious old buildings on your right, then the trail intersects another road.

From here, you have several choices to finish the hike. You can simply turn around and go back the way you came. If you feel adventurous, you can make your way cross-country on the south side of Rock Creek. The third option completes the loop via the nearby Palouse to Cascades State Park Trail as described below.

Take a left on the dirt road, heading northwest through a leased, irrigated hayfield (please be respectful of equipment and crops). Exit through a gate and go left on the P2C Trail. Follow this past the grain elevators and P2C-Revere kiosk. After crossing a bridge over a dry wash, leave the P2C and head south across Davis Road to Jordan-Knott Road. Walk up Jordan-Knott Road 0.4 mile to return to the parking area.

You can access this same loop from another point at the Revere kiosk parking area along Davis Road.

The book Best Desert Hikes: Washington (Bauer & Nelson - Mountaineers Books) describes another hike on the same unit, which the authors call Rock Creek Wildlife Area (hike 86).