BOU AVENUE
Antoine Peak, Rocks Of Sharon And Krell Hill
On 4 April 2026, Zosia Zgolak and I started the day with an ascent of Antoine Peak located in Antoine Peak Conservation Area just east of Spokane, Washington.  Little more than a forested hill, this officially-named peak is a popular place for outdoor recreation due to its close proximity to the city and an excellent network of trails and roads providing easy access to the summit.  There are three different trailheads available, and we would choose to start from the western one (47.72219, -117.19684) situated near the junction of East Brevier Road and North Robbins Road.

From the western trailhead, Zosia and I followed the signed Antoine Summit Trail which initially heads southward to cross a service road before turning eastward up the west ridge of the peak.  There are some far-reaching views of Spokane from this initial open section along the west ridge, but the trail eventually re-enters forest and merges with the same service road.  The remainder of our ascent was simply a straightforward walk up the long but uncomplicated service road to the summit which is populated with numerous telecommunications buildings and antennas.  Contrary to the conservation area's website claim of "360-degree views from its 3,373-foot summit", the top of Antoine Peak is actually bereft of good views because of an abundance of trees.  We still enjoyed a short break on a cluster of rock outcrops just east of the summit before backtracking the way we came.  Other than taking a short cut down an old reclaimed road, our descent was unremarkable.
The porta-potty was nice and clean. Zosia stands in front of a sign board at the western trailhead for Antoine Peak.
Sadly, the best views are from these western slopes of Antoine Peak... Early in the ascent, there are already some far-reaching views of Mica Peak (centre) to the south.
An e-bike would be ideal for this ascent! Zosia follows a service road for most of the ascent.
It's a female wood tick. Zosia finds her first tick of the season.
Pretty lousy views from here! Zosia stands on the summit of Antoine Peak (1032 metres).
Still looks like some good skiing to be had there! A break in the trees near the top of Antoine Peak grants this view of Mount Spokane to the north.
Tunnel of Zosia? Zosia peers through an uninstalled monopole tower.
We now try to avoid going into Spokane if we can help it! The city of Spokane is visible in the distance as Zosia descends the west ridge of Antoine Peak.
Understandably popular due to easy access, but don't expect any jaw-dropping views. Total Distance:  5.6 kilometres
Round-Trip Time:  2 hours 57 minutes
Cumulative Elevation Gain:  221 metres

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Zosia and I next drove southeast of Spokane to Dishman Hills Conservation Area where we visited Rocks Of Sharon and also hiked up nearby Krell Hill.  Rocks Of Sharon are a collection of rock outcrops situated mostly on a ridge extending eastward from the main mass of Krell Hill.  Easy access on good trails make this an exceedingly popular area for hikers, climbers, mountain bikers and even families.  There is truly something for everyone here.  According to blogger Jonathan Freitag, "Sharon" apparently refers to the name of a nearby store that was a popular starting point for day hikers who would get there from Spokane by train in the early 1900s.  The origin of the name "Krell" is a bit more ambiguous but likely refers to a family that was one of the first settlers in the area.  More amusingly for me is that "Krell" is also the fictional name of an ancient alien race whose advanced technology lifted them to the pinnacle of civilization and also paradoxically brought about their own destruction as chronicled in the classic 1957 science fiction movie Forbidden Planet.

From the Stevens Creek Trailhead parking lot (47.57016, -117.28852), Zosia and I walked up the remainder of Stevens Creek Road to a split and headed right going past a locked gate (left leads to a private residence).  A short distance further, the trail seemingly splits in multiple directions at an information sign board, but we stuck to the main trail heading straight.  After a short but moderately steep ascent, we passed under Big Rock, the most striking of all the rock outcrops in the area.  There is apparently a non-technical ascent route up Big Rock via its east face, but our initial impression was that it looked too daunting for us.  We instead visited another outcrop to the south which boasts an easy-to-reach panoramic viewpoint.  From there, we followed trails to the high point of the ridge which is adorned with two more rock outcrops.  We scrambled up both rock outcrops here, and the easternmost of the two is likely the highest point of Rocks Of Sharon according to USGS 3DEP map data.  Ultimately, we did not scramble up Big Rock to empirically confirm its height, but according to the USGS 3DEP map data, it appears to be lower than the rock outcrops atop the ridge by a few metres.
The low bar must be to keep out wheelchairs! Zosia passes a gate at the start of the hike to Rocks Of Sharon and Krell Hill.
Doesn't look like a scramble from here... Zosia passes below Big Rock, the most striking rock outcrop in the area.
At this point, we weren't sure if this was a scramble or not. Zosia winds around the east side of Big Rock.  A non-technical ascent route goes up this side.
There were some rock climbers below us; don't throw rocks here! Zosia stands at a scenic viewpoint with Big Rock and Krell Hill visible in the background.
It's more exposed than it looks here... Zosia scrambles up one of two rock outcrops that are potentially the highest points of Rocks Of Sharon.
Hmmm...hard to tell if we're higher than Big Rock or not... Zosia and Sonny pose for a selfie on top of the westernmost rock outcrop (RS1; 1088 metres).  Behind them are Big Rock and Krell Hill.
Trickier to down-climb than to ascend! Zosia takes her time to down-climb RS1.
No fear. Zosia scrambles up the second rock outcrop (RS2).
No problemo! Zosia is nearly at the top of RS2.
So, are we higher than Big Rock or not? Zosia relaxes on a slightly lower rock in this view from RS2's high point (1089 metres).  RS1 and Big Rock can be seen in the background at right.
This is the most awkward part to descend. Sonny carefully down-climbs RS2.
After getting down safely from the two rock outcrops, Zosia and I took a short break before hiking the easy connecting ridge to Krell Hill.  The hill's long and flat top is cluttered with all sorts of ugly telecommunications infrastructure, and far-reaching views are disappointingly limited.  The actual highest point is on a tree-covered rock outcrop near an array of satellite dishes.

Satisfied that we had tagged all the highest points on Krell Hill, Zosia and I hiked back to Rocks Of Sharon.  As we passed under Big Rock, we spotted a roped party methodically climbing up its south face while, at the same time, a steady stream of mostly teenagers--none with helmets--were slithering up and down the east face only a few metres away.  The contrast between the two groups of ascensionists was both jarring and amusing.  For the rest of our descent, we took a few well-traveled short cuts which saved us a bit of distance in our otherwise uneventful return to the trailhead parking lot.
Krell Hill looks more appealing here than in reality... Zosia begins to make her way over to Krell Hill.
Hardly worth the effort to get here! The top of Krell Hill is mostly flat and rather uninteresting.
Big Rock looks lower here...just sayin'! Sonny and Zosia stand at a small clearing on Krell Hill with a view of Rocks Of Sharon.
A sexy summit this ain't! Sonny stands near the true high point of Krell Hill (KH3; 1121 metres).

Photo courtesy of Zosia Zgolak
Lotsa people were scrambling up Big Rock at this time. Zosia stops to admire Big Rock one last time before descending back to the trailhead.
A deservedly popular recreation area with something for everyone. Total Distance:  7.3 kilometres
Round-Trip Time:  5 hours 10 minutes
Cumulative Elevation Gain:  290 metres

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