▁Lake ▁Co eur ▁d ' Al ene , ▁Lake ▁P end ▁O re ille , ▁Pri est ▁Lake , ▁or ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁other ▁nearby ▁bodies ▁of ▁water ▁and ▁be aches . ▁In ▁the ▁winter , ▁the ▁public ▁has ▁access ▁to ▁five ▁ski ▁resort s ▁within ▁a ▁couple ▁hours ▁of ▁the ▁city . ▁The ▁closest ▁of ▁these ▁is ▁the ▁M t . ▁Sp ok ane ▁Ski ▁and ▁Snow board ▁Park , ▁which ▁has ▁tra ils ▁for ▁cross - country ▁ski ing , ▁snow sh oe ing , ▁snow m ob iling , ▁and ▁dog ▁s led ding . ▁ ▁Econom y ▁ ▁Sp ok ane ▁became ▁an ▁important ▁rail ▁and ▁sh ipping ▁center ▁because ▁of ▁its ▁location ▁between ▁min ing ▁and ▁far ming ▁areas . ▁In ▁the ▁early ▁ 1 8 8 0 s , ▁gold ▁and ▁silver ▁were ▁discovered ▁in ▁the ▁In land ▁Empire ; ▁as ▁a ▁regional ▁sh ipping ▁center , ▁the ▁city ▁furn ished ▁supplies ▁to ▁the ▁min ers ▁who ▁passed ▁through ▁on ▁their ▁way ▁to ▁the ▁min eral - rich ▁Co eur ▁d ' Al ene , ▁Col ville ▁and ▁K oot en ay ▁districts . ▁The ▁min ing ▁districts ▁are ▁still ▁considered ▁among ▁the ▁most ▁product ive ▁in ▁North ▁America . ▁ ▁Natural ▁resources ▁have ▁histor ically ▁been ▁the ▁foundation ▁of ▁Sp ok ane ' s ▁economy , ▁with ▁the ▁min ing , ▁logging , ▁and ▁agricult ure ▁indust ries ▁providing ▁much ▁of ▁the ▁region ' s ▁economic ▁activity . ▁After ▁min ing ▁decl ined ▁at ▁the ▁turn