We started at Fish Lake Trailhead on a beautiful day. The trail was scenic and started out more sheltered from wind and shaded than I expected, both good. After about 4 miles, the asphalt ended and the gravel surface began. My fellow rider and I both had hybrid bicycles, and are used to road riding. After about 4 miles of riding the gravel road, we turned around early as the gravel was deep enough that we were worried about spills constantly. Perhaps this works for people who are used to riding on gravel or have more aggressive mountain bicycles.

Clean and comfortable paved trail, great for bikes.

Nice ride on mostly asphalt! It has a nice park that runs along this trail for stopping and resting! Benches, water fountains and adult swings are available along the route! There is a lot to avoid on this trail, dogs, joggers, walkers, other bikers and occasionally a goose, duck or swan! Bathrooms are available at the park!

My daughter lives at the trailhead of this trail and while visiting I ride it daily! It is nice blacktop with a few traffic lights to get through! The number of birds to see is really nice with a estuary along the trail! Due to this being a neighborhood type trail there are lots of families riding and people walking dogs! It also has lots of places to shop, eat and rest on benches with water fountains! Nice easy ride!

wonderful trip across America

Hubby and I took our Great Dane here while visiting Boardman. Plenty of parking (had our bobtail semi) and clean facilities. Absolutely loved the view. It is windy, so be careful with your hats.

Richland Riverfront Trail

I live in Kennewick and ride the Richland Riverfront Trail several times a week. I usually get to the trail by using the Sacagawea Heritage Trail or the Keene Road Trail (see my report on the Sacagawea Heritage Trail where I discuss the interconnecting of the trails in the Tri Cities area.. The Richland Riverfront Trail is an out and back trail of approximately 7 miles in each direction. There are several trailheads in the area but the major ones with parking for more than a couple of cars are as follows:

Columbia Point Marina Park

Bradley Boulevard
-North end of Condos

Howard Amon Park
- Richland Community Center
- Lee Boulevard
- Newton Street
- Boat launch Facility

Leslie Groves Park
- River Road
- Newcomer Street
- Park Road
- Saint Street
- Snyder Street

Although this trail is located in the center of a metropolitan area you are on a paved trail or when on a street or road traffic is light, there is no water or restroom facilities available on the trail north of Leslie Groves Park so plan accordingly. Although not a major problem, the Tri-Cities does have a homeless problem and it is not unusual to see one or two sleeping on one of the benches along the trail, I have no knowledge of any problems related to these people. Restrooms are available in Columbia Point Marina Park, Howard Amon Park, and Leslie Groves Park (there are no restrooms north of Snyder Street).

I will start the narrative from Columbia Point Marina Park and detail the entire trail. I will point out facilities close to the trail where you can get food, drinks, or points which may be of interest. Trail markings are few, however since the trail is continuous from one end to the other with the exception of one area where you have to travel on a residential street which has signs marking the bike route they are not a problem like on the Sacagawea Heritage Trail. As there are several hotels along the trail and a popular area for locals to walk it can be crowded for a cyclist so I will detail some of the detours you can take to miss the congestion if it is present


The Trail 

Begin at Columbia Point Marina Park, there is plenty of parking here, unless they are using it for the annual boat show or one of the bass tournaments. The trial actually starts at the end of Columbia Point Drive at the river. The trail runs north along the river side of the park and continues towards the boat launch facility. There is a restroom next to the boat launch facility and on the other side of the boat ramp are three restaurants for those that are hungry, these art not fast food but middle to upper scale facilities. If you’re looking for something lighter or not so fancy you can head back up Columbia Point Drive to the shopping mall at George Washington Way. There are other food facilities just off the trail through central Richland. Most users bypass this short section of trail in the park and begin their trip on the western side of the boat ramp where the trail leaves the parking lot. Overall this section of trail is fairly wide and pedestrians and cyclist coexist with no problems, however, the first few feet of the path from the boat ramp is narrow and a curve so you need to take it easy until you get to the top of the incline and make the right turn.

This section of the trail has benches for resting or taking in the views. On your right is the piers associated with the boat launch facility and a little further the piers where boats are permanently moored. On you left will be two of the restaurants and two hotels followed by several waterfront condominiums. At the end of the second hotel the trail turns ninety degrees to the left and the corner is somewhat blind and you need to be careful here. After the last condominium you will come to the Bradley trailhead on your left with river views to your right and a vacant lot on your left. The pavement in this area is not broken or damaged but has several rises and falls which can be a little unsettling if not aware of them. At the end of the vacant lot the trail turns to the left and passes another hotel. The trail follows the shoreline of the river and after a short distance make a turn to the right, caution the foliage along the river makes this a blind corner so be prepared to be face to face with a pedestrian or another cyclist. A very short straight section and you make a turn to the right and then after a couple hundred feet another somewhat blind turn to the left as you pass another group of condominiums. After passing the last condominium you pass yet another hotel and the trail narrows somewhat while transiting this area, after passing the hotel the trail widens and you have now entered Howard Amon Park.

On the left will be the Richland Community Center with its parking lot. The park contains several covered pavilions with tables and other amenities for use by the public. As you reach Lee Boulevard on your right will be a pier at which you may find the paddle wheel Mississippi style riverboat which ply's the Columbia and Snake rivers from Lewiston, Idaho to Astoria, Oregon with a stop in Richland. Parking is available on Lee Boulevard and in a lot to the north of Lee Boulevard between the park and George Washington Way. There is a restroom facility on Lee Boulevard next tot he tennis courts. If you continue west on Lee Boulevard and cross George Washington Way the next street you come to is The Parkway which has several small restaurants, one of which is Frost Me Sweet Bakery and Deli which has been featured on Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives on the Food Network. Also you will find Greenies bicycle shop.

At this point the trail along the river narrows and it can become cumbersome to travel on a bike if there are pedestrians present, a usable detour is to travel up Lee Boulevard and turn right onto Amon Park Drive. If you plan on continuing on the trail next to the river skip to the next paragraph. As you travel through the parking lot on your left will be Northwest Paddleboarding where you can rent paddleboards and kayaks, take paddleboard lessons or a paddleboard tour. At the north end of the parking lot Amon Park Drive turns to the right and then back to the left to parallel the river and trail which are a short distance on your right while on your left will be another hotel. As you reach Newton Street on your left will be a restaurant and on your right will be a restroom facility. Continue on Amon Park Drive until you reach the parking lot at its end, the trail exits from the northwest corner of the lot and proceeds up onto a levee section of the trail.

For those who choose to continue on the trail from Lee Boulevard you will find benches and other amenities along the trail. There is a restroom adjacent to the small parking lot located at Newton Street. Proceed north until you reach the boat launch facility and turn right across the ramp and continue around the east side of the parking lot on the trail and continue up onto the levee section of the trail.

As you climb up onto the levee there is another hotel on your left, once on the top of the levee section of trail you will notice a path bearing to your left and back down the levee towards George Washington Way. At the bottom of the path on the left is a new building which houses a winery and Porter’s BBQ which has been featured on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives. This section of the trail which is on the levee is one of my least favorite sections due to the buckling of the asphalt pavement. Somebody has painted lines around most of the bad spots but it is wearing off and either needs to be reapplied or repairs made to the trail. If the trail is crowded or you want to miss some of the bumps you can take the next path to the left down to Harris Avenue, turn right on Harris Avenue and parallel the levee north. The first street on your right will be River Road, turn onto River Road and once over the top of the levee turn left into the parking lot. If you stayed on the top of the levee when you reach River Road turn right before the vertical railroad tracks stuck in the ground. This is the beginning of Leslie Groves Park which has a unique path system ,which most users honor, the path closest to the river is for pedestrians while the path slightly inland is for cyclists. If on a bike turn left where the railroad track is missing and into the parking lot. Just ahead between the parking lot and the pedestrian section of the trail will be a restroom facility. Where Howard Amon Park was all grass like your lawn many areas of Leslie Groves Park are natural foliage. The cycle trail transitions from the parking lot to a trail at the north end of the parking lot, marked by two large boulders spaced wider apart than the rest of the smaller boulders. Both trails continue north within a few yards of each other and at times are separated by trees or other foliage. Eventually you will reach Newcomer Street which has a small parking lot for trail access. Continuing north you will reach the more developed portion of Leslie Groves Park, on your right you will find sand volleyball courts and a sandy beach which is used for swimming, CAUTION NO LIFEGUARD, SWIM AT YOUR OWN RISK. On your left will be the south end of the parking lot located at Park Street, near this area there are two pavilions with tables and a restroom facility.

Continuing north the trails continue on to Saint Street where there is a large parking lot. The pedestrian route continues north along the river where you will find tennis courts on your left along with another pavilion. Cyclists have a decision to make here as the trail between Saint Street and Snyder Street is rather rough from tree roots causing the pavement to buckle, if you decide to stay on the path cross the west end of the parking lot and continue on the path with the tennis courts on your right. If you decide to bypass this rough section jog slightly to your left and continue north on Harris Avenue. Harris Avenue has no businesses on it and is only residential so traffic is minimal or non-existent plus it is a fairly wide street. At Snyder Street turn to the right towards the river and pick up the trail on your left.

At Snyder Street the pedestrian and cycle trails merge back together and in the boat launch parking lot near the trail you will find the last restroom facility as you head north on the trail. The portion of the trail north of Snyder Street is designated as the North Leslie grove Natural Area and as such is covered in vegetation natural to the area. The trail continues north through this area until it turns to the left up a short incline onto Ferry Road for a short distance until you reach Harris Avenue. Turn right onto Harris avenue and continue north until you reach Sprout Road. Across Sprout Road will be Washing State University, Tri-Cities Campus, you will turn right on Sprout Road and at the end of the street pick up the trail which immediately turn left as you enter it and then down a short downhill followed by an equal uphill section with the river on your right and the university campus on your left.

Other than the landscaped areas of the university this section of the trail in a natural habitat and you can expect to see wildlife native to the area, this includes rabbits and the occasional snake. More than once between the university and USS TRITON Park I have been startled by a rabbit dashing across the path mere inches in front of my recumbent trike. After leaving the university campus behind you merge onto Waterfront drive for a short stretch until the path picks up on the right side as the pavement ends for Waterfront Drive, stay to the right of the line of boulders. After passing a picnic table on your right the path takes a mild bend to the left and appears to go straight with a branch going to the right. Turn right as the straight section ends in a very short distance. Go up the slight incline past a couple of roadside tables and find yourself approaching some riverfront homes. It has recently been announced that the area to your right and immediately west of these homes will be developed into a higher end luxury apartment complex.

After passing the last of these homes you will climb a short rise and approach a pavilion on your right which has a table. From this pavilion you will be able to overlook the Columbia River and the Port of Benton barge slip which services the Hanford Site (formally Hanford Nuclear Reservation). If you look off to the northwest from this location you can visually follow the trail and see the sail from USS TRITON at the top of the bluff. From this pavilion it is a short ride up the hill to finally arrive at USS TRITON park. USS TRITON park is a very small park with parking for ten cars and a space just slightly larger than the sail itself.

USS TRITON Park

USS TRITON was a first generation nuclear powered submarine of the US Navy (fourth hull design, eighth boat built) which during her short career made history by becoming the first submarine to circumnavigate the Earth while submerged. The course generally followed that of the first circumnavigation of the world led by Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan from 1519 to 1522. TRITON was originally designed as a radar picket but quickly outdated with the US Navy’s acquisition of carrier based early warning radar aircraft. TRITON was commissioned on 10 November 1959 and decommissioned on 3 May 1969 when her design made her no longer viable as a fleet asset. She was towed from Norfolk Naval Shipyard (Portsmouth, Virginia) to Puget Sound Naval Shipyard (Bremerton, Washington) in 1993 to await her turn in the Nuclear Powered Ship and Submarine Recycling Program. Triton began the recycling program in 2007 and completed the recycling in 2009.

The recycling process removes all hazardous material whether chemical, mineral, or nuclear and disposes/contains it while parts of the vessel such as steel which can be recycled is sent to the appropriate facility for reuse. The reactor is highly contaminated and during the recycling process it is removed and encapsulated in suitable containers for long term storage, these containers are then transported to the Hanford Site where they are placed in long term storage. During the recycling process the sail was removed as a single unit and placed on a barge and towed from Puget Sound Naval Shipyard out to the Pacific Ocean and up the Columbia River to the Port of Benton Barge slip where it was offloaded by the cranes you see and transported by the multiple-wheel high-capacity trailers you see adjacent to the park, up the hill to its present location where it was mounted to its current location. There is a sign on one side of the sail which instructs ou haw to arrange for a tour inside the sail if you desire to do so.

USS TRITON park commemorates not only USS TRITON but all of the nuclear powered ships and submarines who have undergone the Nuclear Powered Ship and Submarine Recycling Program whose reactors have been sealed during the recycling and placed on barges to take the same voyage as USS TRITON’s sail. Upon their arrival at the Hanford Site they were offloaded and transported to their burial location.

Return is a reversal of your north bound journey. I hope you enjoy this trail as much as I do, other than the bad areas of pavement this is a great trail. I ride thirteen miles to ride this trail and thirteen miles back home, the ride is worth it.

Overview

I live in the Kennewick and ride portions of the Sacagawea (spelling varies between Sacajawea and Sacagawea on signs throughout the area) Trail daily along with the Richland Riverfront Trail, the Keene Road Trail, the By-Pass Shelter Belt Trail (Green-Belt Trail on some maps) and several connecting trails/streets. The Sacagawea Trail is not a true loop (start and end at the same point without retracing any of your route) as there is a roughly 4.4 mile (each direction) out and back portion in addition to what everyone considers the 19. 5 mile loop. If you start your ride at Sacajawea Historical State Park then to get back to the start is actually close to 27 miles. The local web pages for the trail call it a 23 mile trail with the start in Sacajawea Historical State Park and concludes when you get loop back to the trail but does not count the distance back to where you started which is an additional 4 miles. There are several trailheads in the area but the major ones with parking for more than a couple of cars are as follows:

Kennewick:
Columbia Park East
- Playground of Dreams
- Boat Launch Area

Clover Island
- Near Lighthouse ).2 mi from trail)

Columbia Park Central
- Base of Edison Street
- West end of Golf Course

Cable Bridge
- East side of Cable Bridge



Richland:
Columbia Park West
- Lot next to boat ramp

Wye Park
- Area adjacent to Bateman Island

Columbia Point Marina Park
- Large lot next to park



Pasco:
Wade Park
- West End (Road 54)
- East End (Road 39/40)

Marked Trailhead
- West A Street and S 25th Ave

Riverview Park
- Lot between river and the softball field

Chiawana Park
- Near Boat launch area
- Lot at west end of Chiawana Park Road

Port of Pasco
- Ainsworth & Oregon Ave

Sacajawea Historical State Park
- Main Parking Lot

Although this trail is located in the center of a metropolitan area you are on a paved trail or when on a street or road traffic is light and services are few on the trail, there is little water available on the trail so plan accordingly. Although not a major problem the Tri-Cities does have a homeless problem and it is not unusual to see one or two sleeping on one of the benches along the trail, I have no knowledge of any problems related to these people. Restrooms are available near the trailheads with the exceptions of Columbia Park Central, Wade Park East, Cable Bridge, and the marked trailhead in Pasco. Wade Park West has no fixed facility however, there is normally a portable toilet just to the west of the park.

There are three bridges which cross the Columbia River:
1) Cable Bridge (eastern most bridge) has sidewalk on each side and marked lane for bikes on each side (I ride a recumbent trike and use the marked lane as there is barely enough room to navigate on the sidewalk).
2) Blue Bridge (Highway 395) (center bridge) has a sidewalk on the east side only which once again is narrow and can be problematic if you meet a rider coming the other direction. I would not recommend this bridge unless you are walking.
3) I-182 Bridge (western most bridge) has a wide sidewalk on each side of the bridge.

I will start the narrative from Sacajawea State Park and detail the entire trail. I will point out facilities close to the trail where you can get food, drinks, or points which may be of interest. One other important fact is to reiterate what Trailbear reported, trail markings are poor to none so I would recommend that you make close notes of this narrative and consult a site such as Google maps for reference as the trail portions not on a road are shown.


The Trail

Begin at Sacajawea Historical State Park, plenty of parking, there is normally a fee to park here. Available at the park is an interpretative museum along with outdoor displays commemorating the Corps of Discovery (Lewis and Clark Expedition) which camped for two says at this spot on their trip westward towards the Pacific Ocean. Leaving the parking area travel north on Sacajawea Park Road and approximately 0.5 miles past the turn-off for the boat launch the paved trail will be on your left, turn onto the trail. The trail will continue to E. Ainsworth Ave where it turns towards the west and is located on the south side of Ainsworth Ave. Continue on the trail and bear left when you reach East Dock Street and continue to SE Road 20 E where you will turn left towards the river. Travel south through the parking area and pickup the paved path at the south end of the street on your right. Continue on the path until you reach its end at Ainsworth Ave, roughly in the middle of this section is located the Port of Pasco headquarters and a small park. Ride west on Ainsworth Ave using the wide lane on the right of the road, use caution on Ainsworth as it is the marked truck route for Pasco to bypass the city center. After crossing over the railroad tracks turn to the left on S 5th Ave and travel back to the east until the intersection of S 5th Ave and S 4th Ave where the paved trail will be on the east side of S 5th Ave heading towards the river where the trail will turn to the west heading towards the Cable Bridge. When you cross W River Street you have reached the part of the trail which is considered the “loop”. After traveling from Sacajawea Historical State Park to this point it is obvious why only a small number of folks don’t ride this portion, highly industrial and lower income residential area.

After heading west (upriver) and passing under the Cable Bridge you will pass a path which heads north to connect with S 13th Ave. Currently S 13th Ave from the trail to West Washington St is unpaved and in poor condition (goat heads waiting to attack your tires), this may change at some point in the future but until that time it is best to avoid this path. The next point you will come to is Riverview Park and immediately to the north the Pasco Youth Baseball Complex, there are restroom facilities available at this location. This could possibly be used as a trailhead but if baseball is in season parking can be a problem. You will now have the Columbia River on your left and a pond on your right, just past the pond will be a path heading north to connect with S 20th Ave. If you take this path there is a path (this path is little used and poorly maintained) which goes to the right and circles around the back side of the pond and outlets at the Pasco Youth Baseball Complex you just passed. Continuing to the west you will pass the trailhead at S 25th Ave and just before you pass under the Blue Bridge there is a path to the right which will take you onto the Blue Bridge and back to Kennewick or onto Hopkins Street to Road 28. Immediately after passing the Blue Bridge the Moore Mansion (built in 1912 and now used for special events) can be seen on your right. As you the reach the east end of Wade Park you will bear left off the levee and into Wade Park (this is probably the best section of the trail with a smooth wide surface (two marked lanes for cyclists and a marked lane for pedestrians). As you pass through Wade Park on your right will be many large older homes many on large lots. You will come to a path heading to the north which connects with Road 44 and Riverhaven Street and a little further the end of Road 52 which has bollards to keep vehicles off the trail.

Upon reaching the west end of Wade Park you will pass the boat launch area and small parking lot and then turn right and slightly uphill (there may be a portable toilet at this point) on Road 54 and on the left will be the entrance to the trail which once again is on top of the levee until you reach the area around Ivy Lane. This is one of the worst sections of the trail (narrow, rough, and steep drop offs on either side). In this section there are three trails leading off to the north of the trail, the first one you pass connects to Road 60, the second one connects to Road 68 and the third one connects to Ivy Lane. Take the sharp turn to the left and transition down off the levee and continue on to Chiawana Park, passing many newer large homes on your right. This section of the trail is a little wider but still very rough. There will be paths leading to the north connecting to (in the order you pass them) Buttercup Court, Road 76, Road 84, Adams Drive, and Road 88. As you pass the connection to Adams drive the inlet for the boat launch facility will be visible on your left and just ahead the trail continues straight towards Road 88, you want to take the ninety degree turn to the left which takes you into Chiawana Park across the boat launch access road.

Just after crossing the boat launch access road there is a restroom facility on your right. The trail through Chiawana Park is wide and fairly smooth. As you approach the west end of Chiawana Park you will see a dock on your left and a parking lot on your right, there is a restroom facility near the upper end of the parking lot. The west end of Chiawana Park is where most of the trees in the park are located and this short stretch can be a reprieve from the sun in the summer months. The trail will turn to the north for a short period and then to the west and up a small rise to West Court Street.

Upon reaching West Court Street cross to the far side of the street and turn left onto the wide bike lane heading to the west. This section of West Court Street has one of the wider bike lanes in the Tri-Cities with the additional benefit of little traffic. On your left will be homes with riverfront property and many have docks on the river (currently new docks cannot be built on the river, older ones were grandfathered in), After a short pleasant ride the I-182 Bridge will come into view, pass under the bridge and turn on the path to the right which takes you up onto the upriver side of the I-182 Bridge. The path is somewhat narrow and you need to keep a sharp lookout for riders coming in the other direction, once you get on the bridge the path is much wider (I’ve ridden this while next to another recumbent trike with plenty of room). On the Richland side of the bridge continue down the path (use care where you have to make the sharp 180 degree turn part way down) and there will be a short path on your left to Columbia Point Marina Park.

As Trailbear said this is a full service trailhead, the restrooms are on the other side of the park next to the boat ramp and on the other side of the boat ramp are three restaurants which have good food however it is not anywhere close to fast food. If that is what you are looking for then you have to ride approximately 1 mile west on Columbia Point Drive to the shopping area at George Washington Way. Columbia Point Marina Park is also the southern end of the Riverfront Trail which goes north along the river in Richland. After stopping at Columbia Point Marina Park I would recommend crossing Columbia Point Drive (towards I-182) onto the trail coming down from the bridge, turn left on the trail and head towards the river. There is access at the river end of Columbia Point Drive however it is usually blocked by parked cars. Proceed under the I-182 bridge and away from the river up a slight rise where you will see a trail on the right which goes up to the I-182 bridge on the downriver side of the bridge and to Pasco. Continue straight on the trail until you reach the Yakima River where a trail goes to your left and passes under the WA-240 freeway, you want to continue straight and cross the Yakima River towards Kennewick. Coming from the other direction the signs will point towards Pasco (where you are coming from) and Richland, or from under WA-240 Kennewick or Pasco, this is probably the best marked point on the trail.

The following paragraph will discuss options available if you should turn to the left and go down the path and under WA-240. Although not listed as part of any trail this is a highly used connection between trails in the area.

If you were to take the trail under the WA-240 freeway you will go up a small hill, cross the railroad tracks and eventually onto the east end of Carrier Road (Carrier Road has very little traffic as it is the access to a gravel pit and a couple of businesses and only one access road). Proceed west on Carrier Road passing the access road (Jadwin Avenue) to Richland and continuing down a short hill. At the bottom of the hill bear to the right staying on Carrier Road entering Chamna Natural Preserve until you reach the parking lot on your left. The trail splits upon after passing the parking lot, if you go to the right you will go onto the I-182 Bridge and continue uphill until you reach Queensgate Drive. Just prior to Queensgate Drive there is a path to the left which appears to go towards a group of recycling dumpsters don’t let this mislead you as there are three wineries just beyond them and two of them have food available. Go past the recycle bins past to the end of the park and ride on your right and turn left onto Tulip Lane where you will find the wineries (J. Bookwalter, Barnard Griffin, & Tagaris) (J. Bookwalter has announced plans to build a new tasting room one road to the east and the old building will house an expanded restaurant facility). Back at Queensgate Drive we want to go left away from I-182 crossing Columbia Park Trail until we reach Keene Road and the Keene Road Trail. In the small retail building on your left can be found Ethos Bakery which has been featured on Dinners, Drive-Ins, & Dives. Had we gone the other direction on Queensgate Drive and crossed over I-182 we would arrive at the intersection with Duportail Street which is populated with many food choices (various fast food locations and indoor restaurants available). Return in the southerly direction on Queensgate is not as easy as heading north so would recommend going southwest on Duportail until meeting Keene Road and the trail or heading the other direction on Duportail and across the Yakima river on the newly completed bridge (Fall 2020) to the WA-240 intersection. Just prior to crossing the railroad tracks there is a trail to the right which will go to the south and back to the Chamna Natural Preserve parking lot. If you cross WA-240 you will intersect the By-Pass Shelterbelt Trail immediately on the east side of the highway.

Back on the main trail continue towards Kennewick through the Yakima River Delta, keep your eyes open here as there is a lot of wildlife just the other side of the fence. I was coming through here one morning and not fifty feet from the trail were two deer staring at me as I rode by. You will come to a junction and you want to go to the left (continuing straight dumps you onto a busy section of Columbia Park Trail) and onto the levee with the water on your left and the Bus Barn on your right. Continue on the levee until you reach the boat launch and keep to the left down across the access road and back onto the trail. If you are hungry keep to the right and cross Columbia park Trail and continue in the easterly direction. After a short uphill there will be a small mini-mart/deli on the right followed by a small restaurant (Sageport Grille) which is only open for breakfast and lunch, don’t let the looks fool you the food is good. A little further on the right is a sports bar/restaurant and a more formal restaurant. At the bottom of the hill you are back where you meet the trail had you stayed on it. At the top of second small hill is the access to Bateman Island on your left the Wye Park trailhead on your right and just ahead at the bottom of the hill is the Columbia Park West trailhead and restroom facilities.

At the east end of the park the trail transitions onto Columbia Park Trail which has a bike lane until you reach the area around the golf course. Just after transitioning onto Columbia Park Trail there is a road on the right which will take you to the Reach Museum about a block south. The Reach Museum has exhibits detailing the history of the area including one dedicated to the Manhattan Project during World War II and current activities in the energy field. As an alternative to the road just past the disc golf course and Kiwanis Building there is a path on the left which meanders through the mark until it rejoins Columbia Park Trail in approximately 1 mile. After a short stretch on Columbia Park trail there is another section of path on the left which meanders over to the river and right back to the road, It is in the marshy overgrown area next to this part of the trail where Kennewick Man was discovered some years ago. After another short ride on the road there is an entry to the path on the left which continues eastward until it rejoins the road near the restaurant/golf building at the golf course. At this point the marked bike lane on the south side of the road goes away as the pavement on that side narrows, marked bike lane is on the other side of the road until you are past the driving range. Currently there is a small restaurant at the golf course/driving range which is usually open during the day. After the driving range you can continue on the road or keep to the left and ride on the old road along the river until you reach the Hydroplane Pits (restroom facilities here) where you will turn to the right to the Playground of Dreams. Just past where you either go on the main road or the old road is the Tri-Cities Veterans Memorial honoring those who have served. I have ridden this section between Columbia Park West and the Playground of Dreams and had as few as one or two cars pass me the entire time on the majority of days.

The Playground of Dreams has restroom facilities and a large playground for children and in the summer months a water feature for them. Adjacent to the playground is the Columbia Park Pond which is normally stocked with trout for children to fish (there is an age limits so no adults). As an option there is a path which circles the pond if you desire the detour.

Leaving the Playground of Dreams continue east on the road and past the boat launch facility trailhead and restroom facilities on your left and then pass under the Blue Bridge, at the top of the hill cross to the other side and join the trail on the levee and continue to Washington Street (access to Clover Island) where you can turn left to access clover island (restroom and restaurant) or turn right and then look for a trail on the left side of the road (approximately 200 feet) which goes along the south side of Duffy's Pond for a short distance. At the end of this trail is a couple of wine tasting rooms and a food truck area (availability varies, usually 1-4 most weekdays for lunch). The main trail continues across Washington Street and under the Cable Bridge. Stay on the sidewalk/path until you reach the street where you have to decide the sidewalk or the marked lane over the bridge. On the other side of the bridge take the first right turn onto W Washington Street and continue for one block to S 9th Ave where you will turn to the right towards the river up onto the levee where you will intersect the trail.

You have now completed the loop portion and turning to the left ride the reverse of your route back to Sacajawea Historical Park to finish your ride on the Sacagawea Heritage trail.

We rode this trail from Toulon to Princeville today. It was great! The path was very good. It is mostly shaded. Excellent. We stopped in Wyoming on our way back for lunch. Ate at 111 Coffee Shop. Don’t be fooled, this is NOT just a coffee shop. The lunch was delicious. And it is decorated all with bikes! Perfect for us bikers. And check out the bathroom. Cute!!! Can’t wait to do more of the route from Princeville going south.