Humboldt County, California
You can’t talk about Humboldt County in northern California without talking about its most famous residents: the redwoods. Redwoods National and State Parks is on the north end of the county, Humboldt Redwoods State Park is on the south end, and both are less than an hour’s drive from the coastal county seat of Eureka.
To enjoy the redwoods, “anyone can stop and take a hike — more like a guided walk,” said Tony Smithers, executive director of the Eureka-Humboldt Visitors Bureau. “I shouldn’t even say ‘hike’ because you don’t need to break a sweat to enjoy the redwoods.” Park rangers or a Humboldt Redwood Interpretive Association volunteer lead narrated walks and teach visitors about the ecology, environment and natural history.
Groups can also take advantage of several visitors centers, including the Thomas H. Kuchel Visitor Center in Orick and the Prairie Creek Visitor Center along the Newton B. Drury Scenic Parkway, both of which offer a park film, exhibits and ranger-led activities.
Redwood Creek Buckarettes will take groups through the redwoods on guided horseback rides, an experience that is “so beautiful and such a different way of seeing the redwoods,” Smithers said.
Both Humboldt Bay National Wildlife Refuge and Arcata Marsh and Wildlife Sanctuary are renowned for bird-watching, and guides can lead walk-and-talk tours. Whitewater rafting is another popular group activity, and options range from white-knuckle rapids to lazy-river floats on Willow Creek and the Trinity River.
In Humboldt Lagoons State Park, Kayak Zak’s takes groups into Stone Lagoon by kayak or stand-up paddleboard. The Humboldt Bay Aquatic Center offers several classrooms and a 50-person conference room, as well as group kayaking, paddleboarding and sailboat lessons. Groups can take a 75-minute narrated cruise in Humboldt Bay on the Madaket, a 106-year-old passenger ferry. Pamplin Grove county park and Patrick’s Point State Park both offer scenic outdoor settings for events.
Klamath Falls, Oregon
Klamath Falls, Oregon, is surrounded by national parks, national forests, national monuments and lakes — lots of lakes. Crater Lake National Park is about 40 miles north of the city, making it a huge draw for Klamath Falls visitors.
Because of the region’s abundant lakes and rivers, water sports such as paddleboarding, whitewater rafting, kayaking and fly-fishing are plentiful, and outfitters can lead groups in hiking, road cycling and mountain biking, said Lisa Galloway, group sales and advertising manager for Discover Klamath Visitor and Convention Bureau. The bureau often partners with ROE Outfitters for fishing trips, guided hikes and group kayaking, Galloway said.
Crater Lake Trolley Tours takes 25 passengers per trolley on two-hour narrated tours that circle the lake and include stops at areas of interest. Volcano Boat Cruises leave from Cleetwood Cove, and the guide-narrated voyages showcase the caldera’s geology, ecology and history. Crater Lake Zipline is a tree-to-tree canopy tour 30 miles northwest of Klamath Falls with nine zip lines, two sky bridges and views of Upper Klamath Lake and the surrounding national forest.
At Lava Beds National Monument, groups can explore most of the lava tube caves and volcanic geologic features without a reservation, but ranger-led tours, walks, talks and programs are also available. Groups can also visit the historic Modoc War sites and the visitor center to learn how the Modoc people used the caves to hold off U.S. Army troops.
The Lake of the Woods Mountain Lodge and Resort and the Harriman Springs Resort and Marina both have function space and group recreation. The Running Y Ranch Resort’s 82-room lodge, 7,000 square feet of event space and 18-hole Arnold Palmer golf course are just some of the 3,600-acre resort’s amenities.
Spokane, Washington
No one has to leave the city to enjoy the outdoors in Spokane, Washington; the two are inseparable.
“We say we’re ‘near nature and near perfect’ here,” said Amy Cabe, director of convention services for Visit Spokane. “We have a wealth of great opportunities to take advantage of the outdoors.”
The Spokane River winds through the heart of the city, and visitors can be on it — on a raft, a kayak, a canoe or a paddleboard — just minutes from the city’s downtown core or steps from the 650,000-square-foot Spokane Convention Center. The 100-acre Riverfront Park is an outdoor recreation mecca, and the tiered Huntington Park, with cascading views of the lower Spokane Falls, opened next to City Hall in 2014.
The city has 17 bridges crisscrossing the Spokane River, but one of the best ways to experience the rushing thunder of the falls is on the Spokane Falls SkyRide tram. Cable cars descend 200 feet, taking passengers through rainbow-striped mist to get close to the crashing water below.
The 90-acre Manito Park has five manicured gardens and a conservatory, and at Riverside State Park, a few minutes from downtown, groups can play disc golf, take horseback rides and explore the extensive trail system, which features a suspension bridge.
Green Bluff is a collection of family-owned farms and orchards a 15-minute drive north of Spokane where groups can pick produce, eat lunch and have tastings. Arbor Crest Wine Cellars has function space and stunning views, and Chateau Rive is an event hall housed in a historic flour mill on the Spokane River.
Although Lake Coeur d’Alene is just over the border in Idaho, it’s only 30 miles from Spokane. Lake Coeur d’Alene Cruises offer both public tours and private charters and can do a “triple boat float” for several hundred people by hooking three boats together.
