Turnbull National Wildlife Refuge — Monday, Apr. 18, 2016

Eastern Washington > Spokane Area/Coeur d'Alene

The Pine Lakes loop hike was the culmination of our 4-day eastern Washington day hiking expedition. It was the nicest hike with the best trail conditions. We identified 19 different bird species including a pair of nesting trumpeter swans. The walk is along the Pine Lakes at first, then makes a big loop through grassy uplands to Stubblefield Lake, then returns to the Pine Lakes. After a brief stop at the visitor center, we drove the auto tour which has several short hikes along it. These also rewarded us with bird sightings and flowers in bloom. All the hiking amounted to about 9 miles, which left plenty of time for the 4-hour drive back to Seattle.