page_title: Riverfront Park (Spokane, Washington)
section_title: Natural attractions and open space
hierarchical_section_title: Riverfront Park (Spokane, Washington) / Features and attractions / Natural attractions and open space
caption_attribution_description: English: The Clock Tower Meadow in Spokane's Riverfront Park in 2018, looking southwest.
context_page_description: Riverfront Park, branded as Riverfront Spokane, is a public urban park in Downtown Spokane, Washington that is owned and operated by the Spokane Parks & Recreation Department. The 100-acre park is situated along the Spokane River and encompasses the Upper Spokane Falls, which are the second largest urban waterfall in the United States, and, when combined with the Lower Spokane Falls that sit just outside of the park's boundary, create the largest urban waterfall in the country.
  Located on the site of a former railyard, visions for creating a park to encompass the Spokane Falls date back as early as 1908, however it would be another 64 years before those visions would be realized. In 1972, the active railyards were removed, and area around the Spokane Falls reclaimed, when construction commenced on an urban renewal project that built a fairground to host the upcoming environmentally-themed Expo '74 World's fair. Plans called for the site, which hosted the fair from May 4 to November 3, 1974, to be kept as a legacy piece of Expo '74 and converted into an urban park after the fair's conclusion.
context_section_description: The Spokane River and Spokane Falls are the main natural attraction of Riverfront Park and are visible from many areas of the park.  Along the river's calm south channel, many of the walking paths and lawns go right up to the river's edge, allowing park-goers to get close to the water.  People have been known to stick their feet in the water and fish in the south channel from time to time.  Access and visibility to the river's north channel, which is home to the falls, is generally more limited due to the faster and rougher water and river gorge that is created by the falls.  However, many official viewing points exist, most notably two pedestrian suspension bridges at the west end of snxw meneɂ that provide up-close viewing of the falls.  
  In several areas, such as the conservation area at the site of the former YMCA building, walkways also run right alongside the falls.
  Riverfront Park also features a number of open grassy meadows on the south side of Havermale Island facing the calmer south channel of the Spokane River, including the Lilac Bowl, which is a natural amphitheater, and the Clock Tower Meadow, adjacent to the Great Northern Clocktower.
caption: The Clock Tower Meadow, as seen in 2018, is one of many open space grassy meadows that exist throughout Riverfront Park.
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