- The Swanson Lakes Wildlife Area covers approximately 20,900 acres, of which around 1,280 acres are leased from the Washington Department of Natural Resources. Elevation ranges from about 1,640 feet in the southwest to about 2,490 feet in the northeast. Managed as one unit, Swanson Lakes is located in Lincoln County, about 10 miles south of the town of Creston in the upper portion of the Crab Creek Watershed. The Audubon Lake Unit, a 277-acre property at the town of Reardan further east in Lincoln County, is managed separately.
- Audubon Lake Wildlife Area Unit (wdfw.wa.gov)
The Audubon Lake Unit includes a variety of habitats, including an 80-acre lake, alkaline mudflats, grasslands, and channeled scablands, which attract a variety of birds, and this site offers great opportunities for birdwatchers. This unit is part of the Ice Age Floods National Geologic Trail and the Audubon’s Great Washington State Birding Trail.
- Swanson Lakes Wildlife Area Unit (wdfw.wa.gov)
The Swanson Lakes Unit is comprised of channeled scabland, featuring plateaus, buttes, numerous pothole lakes, a handful of rim rock lakes, and one intermittent stream. This large diverse unit supports a mix of species, including mule deer, upland game birds, raptors, songbirds, and several reptiles and amphibians. The unit lies within one of the last remaining large areas of shrubsteppe habitat in the Columbia Plateau and is a priority for protection of imperiled species, including the Columbian sharp-tailed grouse.
- Waikiki Springs Wildlife Area Unit (wdfw.wa.gov)
The Waikiki Springs unit of the Swanson Lakes Wildlife Area is 115 acres of property on the Little Spokane River. It is named for the many springs that flow from the hillside into the river, keeping the water temperature moderate year-round. This area is a hidden gem of natural area in the middle of densely populated neighborhoods in northeast Spokane and an important piece in maintaining the ecology of the Little Spokane River.