Local Walks
Member Submitted Routes
Enterprise Middle School to Flat Top Loop - Submitted by Terri Stewart
This 2.9-mile route offers 360-degree views of the Tri-Cities with a 250 ft elevation gain and road or side walk tread for ease of walking. In the stillness of the neighborhood, you will hear Meadowlarks and Killdeer while getting views of Badger, Candy, Red, and Rattlesnake mountains, Horse Heaven Hills, the White Bluffs area, and glimpses of the Blues. Sometimes you’ll be in developing neighborhoods with empty lots displaying the shrub-steppe ecosystem that harbors quail – maybe a rabbit or two. You’ll also spend a little time in fully developed neighborhoods one of which boasts the Certified Heritage Garden shown in this photo.
Enterprise Middle School to Flat Top Loop - Submitted by Terri Stewart
This 2.9-mile route offers 360-degree views of the Tri-Cities with a 250 ft elevation gain and road or side walk tread for ease of walking. In the stillness of the neighborhood, you will hear Meadowlarks and Killdeer while getting views of Badger, Candy, Red, and Rattlesnake mountains, Horse Heaven Hills, the White Bluffs area, and glimpses of the Blues. Sometimes you’ll be in developing neighborhoods with empty lots displaying the shrub-steppe ecosystem that harbors quail – maybe a rabbit or two. You’ll also spend a little time in fully developed neighborhoods one of which boasts the Certified Heritage Garden shown in this photo.
Parking: Proceed to Enterprise Middle School and park in their lot at the corner of Paradise Way and 54th Ave in West Richland (Enterprise is located behind the Yoke’s on Bombing Range Road).
Route: Start walking to the right of the parking lot toward Flat Top (N) on 54th Ave. At Mile 0.2, turn left onto Norma St. At Mile 0.4, turn right onto 58th St. At Mile 0.7, turn left onto Ironton Dr. At Mile 0.9, turn right onto Cobalt Dr. At Mile 1.0, turn right onto Hilltop View Dr. At Mile 1.2, turn right onto Collins Rd. At Mile 1.3, turn left onto Northview Loop. At Mile 1.4, enjoy the Heritage Garden. At Mile 1.6, turn left onto Collins Rd again. Note there are no sidewalks and the shoulders are narrow along this short stretch. At Mile 1.9, turn right onto 58th St. At Mile 2.4, turn left onto Norma St. At Mile 2.7, turn right onto 54th Ave. Complete loop at Enterprise parking lot at 2.9 miles.
Canyon Lakes Route – submitted by Bruce and Eileen Nicoll
This walk provides a quiet neighborhood walk with views of the Tri Cities region from Finley to Badger Canyon. The walk is about 4.5 miles long and has a vertical rise of about 260 ft. It is located in south Kennewick and can be reached by traveling east from the intersection of Highway 395 and W. 27th Avenue. Turn right on S. Quillan St. (first traffic light on 27th Ave.). Walmart will be on your right and Southgate Cinema will be
on your left. Turn left and park in the parking lot between Tips Thai House at 2909 S. Quillan St. and Southgate Cinema.
Start walk on South Olson St. which is east of the parking lot. Walk south and turn right onto W Canyon Lakes Dr. After about a half a mile turn right onto South Union Street and climb the hill. Union Street becomes W. 43rd. Ave at the top of the hill. Continue walking and turn right on S. Reed Street. Turn left onto W. 48th Ave and proceed about .4 mile before turning left onto W 47th Ave. Follow this street until it intersects W. 46th Ave and then turn left. At the intersection of W. 46th and S. Olson St., turn right. Take the first righthand turn on to W. 42nd St. and turn left on S. Ledbetter St. and walk until you intersect W Canyon Lakes Dr. where you turn right. Turn right onto S Irby St./ S Green St. (Irby changes into Green St. and it is difficult to tell exactly where that occurs but if you just follow the curve of the street you will be okay). Turn right on W 37th Ave and proceed to S. Ely St. where you turn left. Follow Ely to W. 36th and turn left. Turn right on W. Canyon Lakes Dr. and follow it until you come to S. Olson St. and to where you parked your car.
WSU-TC to Triton Submarine Park Loop – submitted by Terri Stewart
Trip Alert: Bicycles and walkers share the same asphalt path on this walk. One of our walkers injured her knee in June trying to avoid a collision with a speeding cyclist. A second walker had a close call with a cyclist a few days later. Be alert; use caution.
This walk is a scenic river walk that includes two parks: the Triton Submarine Park and the Columbia Center Rotary Garden below the WSU Wine Science Center. The total hike length is 3.5 miles with a 220-foot elevation gain. It is a quiet hike at this time with the closure of WSU-TC and the Hanford contractors in the 3000 Area. As weather grows warmer, hike this area in the cooler morning hours, taking advantage of shade trees along the return route. This would be a great hike to pack a lunch or snack to be eaten in the Rotary Club Garden at the picnic tables located near the end of the hike.
Park in the Consolidated Information Center (CIC) parking lot that can be reached by heading north up George Washington Way and turning right on University Avenue. Then take the first right and proceed to parking lot taking a left at the bottom of the hill. Start hike by walking along the north side of the CIC to the asphalted river walk trail (0.15 mi). Turn left (upriver) and hike. At 0.42 mi you will come to University Av and Waterfront St, staying right on the street past the Starch Plant. At 0.52 miles, you’ll rejoin the trail. At 0.82 miles stay right at the fork. At 0.93 miles you will enter the easement and conservation area through the Willow Pointe neighborhood. At 1.24 mi stay straight as you pass the information kiosk. At 1.42 mi you will reach the Triton Submarine Park. As you leave the park, stay on the path to the riverside of the submarine conning tower. The asphalt path turns to aggregate gravel path at 1.46 miles, continue until you reach road at 1.62 miles. Turn left to avoid trespassing on DOE property. Proceed to George Washington Way where you will turn left and head back toward WSU-TC. * At mile 3.04, go down stairs to parking lot of WSU Wine Science Center, staying to the right of the building. Follow the short sidewalk and then the primitive gravel road down the hill to link up with the asphalt trail that takes you through the Rotary Club Gardens at 3.02 miles. After enjoying the interpretive gardens, continue towards the parking lot at the CIC.
*If there is traffic on GW Way, you can go one block toward the river to Port of Benton Ave and follow that street to University Ave, turn right and proceed to WSU Wine Science Center and follow directions around building to Rotary Club Garden.
South Section of Richland Shelter Belt – Nancy Doran
General Information: This 3.6-mile route is very wide and shaded in the Shelter Belt, especially, in the morning. There are two parallel paths: one is usually used by walkers and the other by bicyclists. There are several fun surprises to see and experience and very easy to physically distance from other walkers or bicycles.
Parking: Park at the southwest corner (grocery store side) of Fred Meyers at 101 Wellsian Way, Richland near the steps up the hill.
Walking Directions: From the parking, take the steps up to the asphalt path turning right towards Thayer Dr. At mile 0.13 cross both Lawless and Thayer, turning right up Thayer. Just past the Substation and along the tree line, take a left onto the asphalt entry path at mile 0.2. Watch to your right and you may see quail along this stretch. The path curves right at mile 0.3. Continue following the Shelter Belt Trail crossing Duportail St at mile 1.0. (This section is the most scenic, so you could make it a short 2-mile walk, simply retracing your steps to Fred Meyer at Duportail. Otherwise, continue north across Duportail.)
Continue on the Shelter Belt Trail to the Art Installation at mile 1.6. Turn right and cross Cottonwood Loop to enter Paul Liddell Park at mile 1.7. Walk through the park and at the north end of Paul Liddell path, turn right onto Cottonwood Loop and walk one block to Cottonwood Dr. Turn right and follow Cottonwood St back to Thayer Dr at mile 3.35; this stretch has only intermittent shade. Turn right on Thayer, then cross Thayer and Lawless at mile 3.45 to return to Fred Meyer parking lot at mile 3.6 via asphalt path and stairs to parking lot. (Note: If you want more shade, you can just return by the Shelter Belt Trail at the art installation rather than go through Paul Liddell Park and return via Cottonwood St. Total round trip mileage using this shorter up and back return is 3.2 miles.)
Central Section of Richland Shelter Belt – Nancy Doran (Updated 6/30/2020)
Trip Alert: Hate posters have been found at Swift & Hwy 240 and along other streets running parallel to this central section of the Shelter Belt Trail. Richland police are alerted, but have not caught the people responsible. Be aware of your surroundings. If you see a hate poster, Richland police ask that you call them immediately with location and do not remove the poster.
General Information: This walk has one of the oldest homes located near the beginning of the route and features the newest sculpture in Richland at the middle of the route. It is a pleasant route with lots of shade in the morning and running irrigation water along the way.
Parking: Park near Barracuda’s Coffee Shop 2171 Van Giesen, Richland
Walking Directions: This 3.1-mile walk is flat and uses the Shelter Belt along Highway 240 which is protected by a faux stone wall for safety and to reduce traffic noise. You’ll be seeing lots of backyards along the way. From the Barracuda’s, turn left and travel along Van Giesen to Alder. Turn left onto Alder at mile 0.06. Continue to Tinkle and turn right onto Tinkle at mile 0.3. You will pass the old Ernest Johnson house at 2212 Tinkle, which is one of the historic homes we visit on our FFOFC walking tour. The original home at this location was started in March 1927 and sat on a 9.5-acre farm with a big strawberry patch, alfalfa, and grapes. Now the house is nestled along a block of homes with varying architectural styles. Continue on Tinkle to Birch. Turn right onto Birch at mile 0.4. At mile 0.6, turn left back onto Van Giesen and proceed to left fork (about 80 paces) where path leads to Shelter Belt. Continue along Shelter Belt to Swift at mile 1.4. Cross Swift and proceed to art installation near Paul Liddell Park at mile 1.6. *
Leave the trail turning left to cross Cottonwood Loop at mile 1.65. Walk through the park. The path emerges from the park on the far side on the north end of the Cottonwood Loop at mile 1.8. Go right 1 block to the corner of Cottonwood Dr and then turn left and walk north to the end of Cottonwood Dr at mile 2.9. Cottonwood ends at Birch. Turn left onto Birch and proceed 1 block to Van Giesen. Turn right onto Van Giesen and proceed to Barracuda’s to complete your walk at mile 3.1.
*You may prefer to return to Van Giesen retracing your steps along the Shelter Belt for a round trip of about 2.7 miles.
North Section of Richland Shelter Belt – Nancy Doran (Updated 6/30/2020)
General Information: This route is uncrowded and utilitarian for quick exercise. The walk extension described below, adds a fun surprise at the end.
Parking: Park at O’Reilly Auto Parts at 1890 Jadwin, Richland.
Walking Directions: This 3.4-mile (or 4.3 -mile extended) walk is flat and uses the Shelter Belt Trail along the Bypass Highway; the trail is protected by a concrete wall for safety and to reduce traffic noise. From O’Reilly’s parking lot, cross Jadwin. Turn right and follow Jadwin to Catskill. Cross Catskill and follow sidewalk left to the back side of the community garden, where you will turn right to follow sidewalk along the fence line toward the Bypass Highway. At mile 0.6; turn left at fork and follow sidewalk into the Shelter Belt. Continue to Van Giesen at mile 2.05, turning left. At mile 2.3, turn left onto McMurray and continue to O’Reilly’s parking lot for a 3.4-mile walk.
Extension: You can extend your walk by 0.9 miles or make a short and pleasant stand-alone walk through McMurry Park. Starting from your parked car at O’Reilly’s (mile 0), continue along McMurray to mile 0.1 which is the first right turn you come to (Pike Ave). You’ll see a sign for McMurray Park Apartments. Proceed to just before the Richland Rehab parking lot where you will see an asphalt path to the left along a waterway at mile 0.2. Follow path past Kiosk at mile 0.3 and go left across small bridge toward the shopping center that houses Safeway. You will often see water fowl along this stretch and sometimes catch the heavy scent of fragrant flowers. McMurray Park has a small playground. Pass the park and follow the path to the front of the shopping center. It’s a little safer to walk along the front of the stores, albeit noisier with traffic. But there is a Starbucks in Safeway you can stop at if you need a break. At McMurray (mile 0.6), turn left, return to your car at O’Reilly’s at mile 0.9.
Established Trails and Routes In-Town
Click for large image
Park at the Lakes: This park provides a quiet walk around neighborhood lakes in West Richland. Walking surfaces are asphalt. The length of the walk is 1.5 miles, but can be varied to include one, two or all three of the lakes. (See photos with route information.) There is no elevation gain. Water fowl and well-kept landscapes are viewed.
The trailhead main entrance is along the east side of Bombing Range Road in West Richland. From I-82, take the Dallas Road exit and head north approximately 3.75 miles. After you continue straight through the round-a-bout, the parking area is about a half mile north on the right. From Keene Road, turn north on Bombing Range Road at the round-a-bout and go one-half mile to the parking area on the right. From Van Giesen, travel to West Richland and turn south on Bombing Range Road to drive up the hill. Go approximately 2.3 miles on Bombing Range to the parking area on the left.” (Source: Hike Tri-Cities Website)
The trailhead main entrance is along the east side of Bombing Range Road in West Richland. From I-82, take the Dallas Road exit and head north approximately 3.75 miles. After you continue straight through the round-a-bout, the parking area is about a half mile north on the right. From Keene Road, turn north on Bombing Range Road at the round-a-bout and go one-half mile to the parking area on the right. From Van Giesen, travel to West Richland and turn south on Bombing Range Road to drive up the hill. Go approximately 2.3 miles on Bombing Range to the parking area on the left.” (Source: Hike Tri-Cities Website)
Chamna Park: Park in the parking lot at the end of Carrier Road and wind your way downstream for about a 3-mile roundtrip easy walk through mostly shaded and sheltered trails along the Yakima River. You will find frequent views of the river and numerous bird and wildlife sightings are possible. These trails are signed and maintained by our sister organization, the Tapteal Greenway Association. Take water, snacks, first aid supplies and a cell phone.
WE Johnson Park: Park in the parking lot at the end of Hall Road and head south. Numerous trails and roads wind through sagebrush and trees. These 3-5 miles of trail are signed and maintained by our sister organization, the Tapteal Greenway Association. Take water, snacks, first aid supplies and a cell phone.
Little Badger Mountain: Park in the Richland Claybell parking lot. Walk north along residential streets, crossing Leslie Road to the nearby irrigation canal above the Meadow Springs golf course. Cross the canal and head west into the Crested Hill subdivision. Find Morency Drive and follow it up the north face of Little Badger to the top of the mountain. Follow dirt roads and paths down the south side of the mountain to Badger Mt. Vineyard and Powers Winery. Rachaell Road will then take you downhill to the Amon Creek Natural Preserve where dirt roads and trails lead back to Claybell Park. The hike is about 6 miles in length and gains 700 feet in elevation. Take water, snacks, first aid supplies and a cell phone.
Horn Rapids Park north along the Yakima River: Park in the north Horn Rapid County Park lot. No parking pass is required. Walk upriver about 2 miles on the Tapteal Greenway trail. There is little elevation change and the trail/road passes through open grass and sagebrush with some trees in the park. Wildlife may be seen. Take water, snacks, first aid supplies and a cell phone.
Osprey Park to Sacagawea Park: Park in the parking lot just after crossing the Charles Killbury Bridge on A Street in East Pasco heading east. No parking pass is required. Follow the multipurpose, paved path to where the path ends at the road that goes to Sacagawea Park. The roundtrip from the parking lot to the road is approximately 5 miles with no elevation gain. Wildlife can sometimes be observed. Take water, snacks, first aid supplies and a cell phone.
WE Johnson Park: Park in the parking lot at the end of Hall Road and head south. Numerous trails and roads wind through sagebrush and trees. These 3-5 miles of trail are signed and maintained by our sister organization, the Tapteal Greenway Association. Take water, snacks, first aid supplies and a cell phone.
Little Badger Mountain: Park in the Richland Claybell parking lot. Walk north along residential streets, crossing Leslie Road to the nearby irrigation canal above the Meadow Springs golf course. Cross the canal and head west into the Crested Hill subdivision. Find Morency Drive and follow it up the north face of Little Badger to the top of the mountain. Follow dirt roads and paths down the south side of the mountain to Badger Mt. Vineyard and Powers Winery. Rachaell Road will then take you downhill to the Amon Creek Natural Preserve where dirt roads and trails lead back to Claybell Park. The hike is about 6 miles in length and gains 700 feet in elevation. Take water, snacks, first aid supplies and a cell phone.
Horn Rapids Park north along the Yakima River: Park in the north Horn Rapid County Park lot. No parking pass is required. Walk upriver about 2 miles on the Tapteal Greenway trail. There is little elevation change and the trail/road passes through open grass and sagebrush with some trees in the park. Wildlife may be seen. Take water, snacks, first aid supplies and a cell phone.
Osprey Park to Sacagawea Park: Park in the parking lot just after crossing the Charles Killbury Bridge on A Street in East Pasco heading east. No parking pass is required. Follow the multipurpose, paved path to where the path ends at the road that goes to Sacagawea Park. The roundtrip from the parking lot to the road is approximately 5 miles with no elevation gain. Wildlife can sometimes be observed. Take water, snacks, first aid supplies and a cell phone.
Additional local walks can be found at Hike Tri-Cities. We recommend the local in-town routes only at this time.