The safety course with ecology hike will last about 4 hours—2 hours of instruction and 2 hours of hiking. Programs for workplace trainings, school visits, and special events may vary in length.

For the wildlife safety course, you can choose between Liberty Creek near Liberty Lake, WA; or St. George’s in Riverside State Park in the Little Spokane River Natural Area. If another area interests you, mention that in the form when you book a course and we could choose another location on Spokane County or Washington State Parks property. In 2025, hikes in the Colville National Forest in northeast Washington will be an option as well.

The difficulty level of the hikes can be tailored to your ability level. The Liberty Creek hike is to the cedar grove and back and has minimal elevation gain, while the St. George’s hike has some steep sections.

You will probably see at least some wildlife on most hikes, but in more populated areas it might just be squirrels, chipmunks, birds, or the occasional deer. The chances are small of seeing the more iconic wildlife like moose, cougar, wolves, bears, etc. On any of our hikes, you will be with others and will be viewing any wildlife in the most safe way possible. There is always a slight chance of a negative encounter but it will be extremely minimal.

Even well-behaved dogs can cause wildlife encounters to be more unpredictable. It’s best to learn wildlife encounter safety with the fewest variables possible. When hiking on your own it’s fine to bring a dog but it’s safest to do so when the dog is leashed and at your side.