Outdoor Recreation in the Tri-Cities Washington Region
Information about outdoor recreation is provided in this section for Tri-Cities Washington and other nearby communities in Southeast Washington and Northeast Oregon.
Kayaks at White Bluffs
Upcoming Event
2008 Youth Outdoor Adventure Expo
May 16-17, 2008
Benton County Fairgrounds (Kennewick)
The 2008 Youth Outdoor Adventure Expo will be held May 16-17 at the Benton County Fairgrounds. The objective of the Expo is to
provide an opportunity for young people, especially grades 3-8, to experience outdoor activities.
The Expo has a strong emphasis on natural resource and outdoor oriented activities including archery, kayaking, fishing, firearm safety, horsemanship, bird and plant identification, hiking, geology and many others. Contact: Diane Warrant (lady.dianne@verizon.net, 509-628-1166).
Tri-Cities Outdoor Recreation
Tri-Cities Region Outdoor News
The Tri-City Herald now has a section on Outdoor News for this region.
Canoeing, Kayaking and Sailing:
Columbia Kayak Adventures offers kayaking courses and tours in this area and lists places to paddle in the Tri-Cities area or as part of an easy day trip.Also, there are several local clubs in the Tri-Cities area that include:
Cycling Tri-Cities
The Benton-Franklin Council of Governments offers a "Cycling Tri-Cities" map which shows bike routes, area Bike/Ped trails, the Sacagawea Heritage Trail, area parks, facilities, and other points of interest.In addition, you may wish to check out the biking opportunities offered by the Tri-Cities Bicycle Club.
Hiking and Climbing
The Inter-Mountain Alpine Club has been in existence in the Tri-Cities since 1948 to encourage the enjoyment of the outdoors and to promote hiking, mountain climbing, and other activities.The organization describes twelve hikes in the Tri-Cities area.
Horse Riding:
Horse riding opportunities exist on some of the newer recreational trails in the Tri-Cities (see Recreational Trails below) or in the Umatilla National Forest.In addition, there are several Backcountry Horsemen of Washingtion chapters in this area that offer horse riding opportunities:
For a list of horse riding events, check the Tri-Cities Horse Calendar.
Outdoor Clinics and Events
Two sporting outlet stores in Kennewick, REI and Sportsman's Warehouse, sponsor a series of outdoor related clinics and events in the Tri-Cities region.
Over 50 Fun Club
Fun, Fit, and Over 50 Club is a group of aging, but not aged, folks who enjoy the fun of being outdoors and being active. They engage in activies such as hiking, skiing, and canoeing/kayaking.
Recreational Trails
Several volunteer organizations have been working to preserve open spaces and natural habitats in the Tri-Cities region. Several new recreation trails have been created thanks to their efforts:The Sacagawea Heritage Trail is a recreational and educational trail along twenty-two miles of beautiful Columbia River shoreline in the Tri-Cities that has been created for bicycle and pedestrian use. A map is available for download (PDF).
The City of Richland lists over twenty trails on their Existing Offstreet 2006 Trail Map (PDF).
Road and Mountain Biking in the Walla Walla Area
The Walla Walla region is a good area for both road and mountain biking. Road biking opportunities exist on and off trails while mountain bikers will find an abundance of tracks in the foothills of the blue mountains.Bike route maps for the Walla Walla region are available online:
For mountain bikers, Kevin Pogue has published the Mountain Bike Guide to the Blue Mountains near Walla Walla, Washington.
In addition, cycling opportunities are offered by Walla Walla Valley Cycling.
Map My Ride
Map My Ride is a great tool for cyclists, hikers, walkers, and others to map their favorite routes and trails and share them with the public. You can use the search form to find cycling routes and trails locally or around the world! Map details can include elevation data and 3D views.Check out some of the cycling routes that have been published for Richland, Walla Walla, and Yakima.
Rock Climbing
For rock climbing locations, check out Kevin Pogue's guide to Rock Climbing areas near Walla Walla. Kevin's guide covers climbing areas in Southeast Washington and Northeast Oregon.
Fishing & Hunting
Department of Fish and Wildlife
Washington and Oregon fishing and hunting resources, including regulations and seasons, are available from the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) and the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW).
Family Fishing
The Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife promotes family fishing (juveniles, juniors and adults when accompanied by a juvenile). For a list of places to fish, see Youth Fishing.For example, the Columbia Park Family Fishing Pond is located in Kennewick and youth under 14 can fish for free.
Photo by Scott Butner
Fishing and Hunting Clubs
There are several fishing and hunting clubs in this region that include:
Refuges
The Mid-Columbia River Natural Wildlife Refuge (NWR) Complex includes eight refuges and the Hanford Reach National Monument. Recreational opportunities exist for fishing and hunting.
Yakima Nation
The Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakima Nation supports a public hunting and fishing program.
Northwest Discovery Water Trail
The Northwest Discovery Water Trail provides the opportunity to travel and explore the Clearwater, Snake, and Columbia Rivers. The water trail is divided into nine reaches with the goal of providing camping opportunities every 10 miles along the rivers, and access and restroom facilities every 5 miles along the rivers.
Skiing Activities
Downhill and/or cross country skiing activities are available at
Bluewood, located near Dayton, WA,
and
Spout Springs, located near Tollgate, OR.
Also, the Umatilla National Forest has several Nordic trail systems for cross country skiing.
City Parks and Recreation Departments
City parks and recreation departments support outdoor recreation activities that typically include softball and swimming opportunities. However, they also support other outdoor activities including lessons in fly fishing and kayaking.For example, the City of Pasco Recreation Services Department can organize a kayaking adventure for up to eleven guests. Also, in partnership with the Columbia Basin Sailing Club, the department is offering beginning and intermediate sailing lessons during the summer. Both kayaks and sailboats are provided as part of these activities.
Check out some of the outdoor activities offered by the parks and recreation departments in the following communities:
State Parks
There are six state parks in this region that offer several recreational opportunities:
US Army Corp of Engineers Walla Walla District
The US Army Corp of Engineers Walla Walla District maintains several recreational areas in the vicinity of Lake Sacajawea, created by Ice Harbor Dam, and Lake Wallula, created by McNary Dam. For a list of recreational sites in these two areas, examine the Lake Wallula Overview and Lake Sacajawea Overview.To find recreational sites that offer specific activites (boating, camping, hiking, hunting, picnicking, and/or watching wildlife), search the recreational categories under the "Activities" section in Walla Walla District Parks and Lakes - Recreation areas.
For detailed campground information around Lake Sacajawea, download the Ice Harbor Campground Brochure (PDF).
Umatilla National Forest
The Umatilla National Forest is located in the Blue Mountains of Southeast Washington (Pomeroy District) and Northeast Oregon (Walla Walla District).Many recreational opportunities are available that include bird watching, camping, fishing, hunting, hiking, biking, horseback riding, river rafting, and picking huckleberries!
For example, the Pomeroy District offers recreational trails, camping, fishing, hunting, and winter activities while the Walla Walla District offers camping, fishing, recreational trails, and bird watching (PDF).
Camping Reservations
Reserve a camping or RV spot at any park maintained by the US Army Corps of Engineers or the National Forest Service online at Recreation.gov. Hint: search for camping and lodging in Washington State near Richland.
ADA Accessible Outdoor Guides
The Washington State Accessible Outdoor Recreation Guide offers accessibility information for all areas of Washington State including South Central Washington and Southeastern Washington.Accessible Trails for Wheelers and Slow Walkers offers ADA accessible trail information for Benton County, Yakima County, The Coulee Corridor, and Palouse Country. The author is expanding his guide to include accessibility information for Oregon State.
Public Lands Information Center
The Public Lands Information Center allows you to search all public lands for campgrounds, parks & monuments, historical-cultural sites, lakes & reservoirs, wilderness areas, wildlife refuges & fish hatcheries, national & historic trails, and scenic drives. Try Search Washington's Public Lands and Search Oregon's Public Lands.
Rails-to-Trails Conservancy
The Rails-to-Trails Conservancy is a nonprofit organization working with communities to preserve unused rail corridors by transforming them into trails. There are three rails-to-trails projects that have been completed in this region:
Washington State Trail Projects
The Washington State Department of Transportion is funding several trail expansion projects for several communities in this region. You may view the following documents to see the grants that have been approved:
Recreation Organizations Outside the Tri-Cities
Pendleton:
Yakima:
Maps & Atlases
Benchmark's series of road atlases and recreation maps for this region...
The Northwest Map and Travel Book Center, based in Spokane, offers a complete selection of maps for the Pacific Northwest region. They cover this area with a variety of products, including Forest Service maps, public land maps, road maps, state and county atlases, and USGS topographic maps.
Map tools now combine the traditional street map view with satellite images. Examples of this include Google Maps, MapQuest, and Yahoo Maps. These resources allow you to find nearby businesses and get travel directions. The US Geological Survey Store - Map Locator and Downloader uses similar technology but adds a topographic view. In addition, visitors may order and/or download maps of interest.
Biking & Hiking Books
Several books that describe bike rides and hiking trips in this region have been published. Check out some of the examples below:
55 Hikes in Central Washington explores hiking in the following areas: Yakima, Pot Holes, Wenatchee, Grand Coulee, Columbia River, Snake River, and Umtanum.
100 Hikes in Inland Northwest covers hikes that are all within a three-hour drive of Spokane, Washington.
Best Desert Hikes: Washington explores 100 hikes, from short half-day trips (1-5 miles) to overnighters from Spokane, the TriCities, Yakima-Ellensburg, and Wenatchee-Chelan.
Great Bike Rides in Eastern Washington & Oregon presents 25 road tours that range from two-hour easy jaunts to challenging all-day rides.
Note: there is another book listed in the Geologic History section by Bruce Bjornstad that shows the best places to hike, bike, drive and fly to see some of the unique geologic features in this region.