Escapes: Tri-Cities
Sacagawea Heritage Trail: 23 miles of historical adventure
By Allen Cox
In a region with 300 days of sunshine a year and a surrounding landscape of sagebrush and vineyards, Tri-Cities is a sun-lover’s Nirvana. If you’re looking for a warm-weather diversion, this hub of Eastern Washington’s Columbia Valley won’t disappoint. Richland, Kennewick and Pasco attract not only sun-seekers, but active travelers looking for a fresh getaway for biking, kayaking and hiking.
The population of the greater Tri-Cities region has reached roughly 200,000. With all those families calling Tri-Cities home and more vacationers newly discovering the area, its citizens have had the foresight to conserve large tracts of prime real estate for public use.
The 23-mile Sacagawea Heritage Trail is the crowning achievement. This paved trail follows a long stretch of the Columbia River’s shoreline between the confluence of the Yakima and Snake Rivers, crosses two major bridges and creates a scenic loop through Richland, Kennewick and Pasco with recreational, leisure and historic attractions serving as diversions along the way.
The trail was designed to be sampled in small doses or swallowed in one big bite — your choice. Whether your preference is short or long distance, biking, walking, running and kayaking are all winners along this trail.
Where to Begin
Kayakers at Hanford Reach. Photo by Mark McConnell
Whatever your level of ability or chosen activity, a good place to begin is at Howard Amon Park in downtown Richland. There, a pleasant spur trail — Richland Riverfront Trail — parallels the Columbia River to Leslie Groves Park.
This starting point offers the convenience of riverfront hotels, kayak and bike rentals, and a great place to warm-up for the adjoining Sacagawea Heritage Trail. If you are biking but didn’t haul gear from home, outfitters near the trail rent all the gear every member of your family, or your bike brigade, will need.
If paddling rather than biking is more your style, outfitters at the edge of Howard Amon Park rent kayaks, give lessons for every experience level, and even furnish guides. On this stretch, the water is generally placid and slow-moving, ideal for a safe adventure on the river that carried Lewis and Clark west. Kayaking the Columbia provides a perspective you can find no where else. The close-up views of the river’s ecosystem, the preserved riverfront with its Sacagawea Heritage Trail, and the cityscape, bluffs and dry mountains beyond give kayakers a fresh appreciation for this magnificent valley.
What’s in a Name?
Back on land and across the river in Pasco, Sacajawea State Park and Interpretive Center is a must-stop site at the end of a spur of the Sacagawea Heritage Trail. At this well-laid out museum dedicated to Lewis and Clark’s intrepid Shoshone interpreter, you’ll learn that her name is a matter of…well, interpretation. Dozens of spellings and pronunciations confound the issue, hence the difference in the trail’s name and the park’s name. Sacagawea — the trail — carries the unconventional pronunciation, sah-káh-gah-way. Lewis and Clark nicknamed her “Janie.”
The state park, at the confluence of the Snake and Columbia rivers, is also home to an installation of the Confluence Project, a multi-site art installation from this park to the mouth of the Columbia hundreds of miles west — a commentary on the confluence of waters and cultures by internationally acclaimed artist Maya Lin.
Biking to this park from Howard Amon Park in Richland requires a commitment to doing the full loop. As an alternative, hop in the car and drive here. Whatever your mode of transportation, carve out time for Sacajawea State Park and Interpretive Center. At the confluence of the Snake and Columbia, the river is broad and its power is never more evident. In the interpretive center, well-informed guides will be glad to give you a personal tour and you’ll leave not only with a valuable history lesson but yet another perspective on this fascinating region.
Columbia Point. Photo by Stepframe Interactive Media
Clover Island and Columbia Park
On the Kennewick segment of the Sacagawea Heritage Trail, let the Tri-Cities’ only lighthouse be your guide as you take the short detour to Clover Island. This small island blends a handsome urban renewal project, public art and shoreline reclamation. At the nearby Marina is Ice Harbor Brewing Company which hosts concerts and barbeques throughout the summer.
A short distance from Clover Island, the trail passes the Playground of Dreams and the Aquatic Splash Park, two enticing spots for kids — but don’t tell them about it unless you’re willing to spend a few hours indulging them.
Playground of Dreams is a kids’ fantasy land of well-integrated and cleverly designed play equipment that will have them sliding, climbing, swinging and commanding pirate ships until you say it’s time to go. Even better, it’s a public park, so there’s no admission fee. Nearby, the Aquatic Splash Park is a safe place to cool down on a hot day (and, yes, adults are allowed to get wet, too.) With the push of a button, water will stream, spurt and squiggle while the kids (or you) run and dance under the fountains. Both attractions are located in Columbia Park along the Sacagawea Heritage Trail.
Whether you’re approaching this trail in chunks or in one grand loop, its gentle grades, spectacular scenery and history make it one of the Northwest’s best destinations for an exhilarating getaway.
Allen Cox is a freelance travel writer living in Tacoma. This is Allen’s first contribution to Outdoors NW.
Going Above it All
Badger Mountain, on the edge of West Richland, is a 1,579-foot success story of conservation. The new hikers-only Canyon Trail ascends through sagebrush to the summit and offers panoramic views of Tri-Cities and the Columbia Valley. Interpretive kiosks tell the story of Ice Age floods that once submerged the valley, leaving the top of Badger Mountain an island in an enormous transient sea.
When in Wine Country…
Tri-Cities is Washington Wine Central. In the heart of the Columbia Valley AVA (American Vitacultural Area), it’s also near Walla Walla, Yakima, Red Mountain and other AVAs. What better place to dedicate an evening or two exploring the area’s world-class wines. Three establishments offer some of the best food in Tri-Cities and highly regarded wine lists representing the region’s (and beyond) viticultural bounty:
Katya’s Restaurant and Wine Bar, (509) 946-7777, www.katyasbistro.com;
Taverna Tagaris (at Tagaris Winery), (509) 628-0020, www.tagariswines.com;
Bookwalter Winery, (877) 667-8300, www.bookwalterwines.com
Planning Your Trip:
Tri-Cities Visitor and Convention Bureau, for maps, brochures, and more information about Tri-Cities recreation, events, lodging and dining, (800) 254-5824, www.VisitTri-Cities.com
Greenies, for bike and gear rentals one-block from the Sacagawea Heritage Trail in Richland, (509) 946-3787, www.greenielife.com
Columbia Kayak Adventures, for kayak rentals, instruction and guides on the Sacagawea Heritage Trail in Richland, (509) 947-5901, www.columbiakayakadventures.com
Red Lion Hotel Richland Hanford House, located on the riverfront near bike and kayak rentals, (509) 946-7611, www.redlion.com
Ice Harbor Brewing Company, two locations — Clover Island Marina and Downtown Kennewick; www.iceharbor.com
kayak Target commercial song, 1 year ago
My spouse and I stumbled over here by a different website and
thought I should check thhings out. I like what I see so now i’m following you.
Look forward to finding out about your web page for a second
time.
Mittie, 1 year ago
Thank you for the good writeup. It in fact was a amusement account it.
Look advanced to more added agreeable from you! By the way,
how can we communicate?
Esther, 1 year ago
Today, I went to the beach with my kids. I found a sea shell and gave it to my 4 year old daughter and said “You can hear the ocean if you put this to your ear.” She put the shell to her ear and screamed.
There was a hermit crab inside and it pinched her ear.
She never wants to go back! LoL I know this is entirely
off topic but I had to tell someone!