Find the top rated hiking trails in Walla Walla, whether you're looking for an easy short hiking trail or a long hiking trail, you'll find what you're looking for. Click on a hiking trail below to find trail descriptions, trail maps, photos, and reviews.
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I didn’t want to believe the reviews so we went anyway. Beautiful setting and views, but impossible for biking. While we struggled with the sandy surface I did see a mountain biker wiz past below us, but on an unmarked trail for sure. Would have been a fabulous ride.
Scenery is gorgeous, trailheads have facilities well maintained, useful signage along but... the trail surface is a coarse loose gravel that rattles the bicycle and makes the tires sink. The only usage of the trail is for fat tire bikes perhaps.
This was a great find! I was originally going to skate the sacajawea trail but I've i saw it, it was pretty rough and not very flat in places so i looked for another. I find this one which mostly goes along Keene road but was fun to skate anyway. It was smooth, and very clean! The only thing i can complain about is the bumpy yellow intersection plates at the crosswalks! But they are doable -just aaannoying.annoyingenjoyed
Good for walking biking....too bumpy and not very wide to skate
I live in the area and regularly ride portions of this trail have ridden the entire trail at times. This trail is somewhat unique in that most of it is an urban greenbelt (not much green as average rainfall is less than 10”) beneath large established deciduous trees located between a freeway soundwall and residential backyards. The trail is asphalt fairly wide and in most cases in good condition with the occasional pavement upheaval caused by tree roots. The trail has no services other than the McDonalds on the south end, everything else would require a detour of the trail. As far as end points the north end of the trail is at the intersection of Spengler Street and Stevens Drive and depending upon your route the southern end has two distinct points; the intersection of Wellisian Way and Arron Drive (between the McDonalds and Arron Drive), or the north west end of Carrier Road in the Chama Natural Preserve. Off street dedicated parking for this trail is nonexistent for this trail except at Fred Meyer’s (next to the McDonalds) or at Chama Natural Preserve. I’ll start my review from the northern end heading south and split the various routes which will branch off our basic trail.
A couple of interesting thing about Richland, how were the street names determined? Answer Richland was a small community of less than 300 residents prior to WWII when the government bought a very large chunk of land for the Hanford Project (part of the Manhattan Project to build the first plutonium bomb) and built quite a large part of what is now Richland. To name streets the Army turned to prominent officers who had served the US Army Corp of Engineers. Why are many of the houses referred to as alphabet houses? When the government moved in there was a need for a large number of houses for the workers and scientists. In true government fashion the house you got depended on your position in the hierarchy and then the size of your family. The houses were built and refer to as the “A” plan/model, “B” plan/model, etc. and many of these homes still exist in the city. Most of these homes were built a duplex units and over the years some homeowners have acquired both unit and converted them into single family units.
At the intersection of Stevens Drive and Spengler you have your first chance for a detour as Spengler is a lightly traveled residential street which runs from Stevens Drive east to Harris Avenue. Although there is no designated bike lane the street is fairly wide and with the light traffic conditions should be no problem. There is a crosswalk with traffic signals at George Washington Way (Yes, that George Washington but in honor of his engineering services not as President) to make crossing the busy street easy. When you reach Harris Avenue if you turn left when you reach the first right turn (Ferry Road) you have intersected the Richland Riverfront Trail. If you continue Harris Avenue you are on the trail and headed towards the northern end of the trail. If you turn right on Ferry Road, you will find the trail at the end of the road and be heading towards the southern terminus at Columbia Point marina Park.
Heading south from Spengler Street on the trail it is rather barren with Stevens Drive on your right as you travel south. You will cross Snyder Street (crosswalk, no lights) and Saint Street (crosswalk and lights). Just south of Saint Street there is a split in the trail, keep right (the left only goes for another block and dumps you onto Jadwin Boulevard) and continue to Jadwin Boulevard (crosswalk and lights). After crossing Jadwin Boulevard keep to the right with the sound wall on your right side. You will be between the soundwall and residential backyards until you reach Duportail Street so it will be somewhat quiet, and I have never encounter more than a couple of other trail users in this area. You will cross Van Giesen Street (busy street with no crosswalk where the trail crosses however, half a block to the west there is a crosswalk and lights at the intersection of the Bypass Highway) and Swift Boulevard (crosswalk and lights) before reaching Duportail Street (crosswalks and lights).
At Duportail we can go in two directions, we will first head to the right to intersect the connecting roadway/trail located in Chama Natural Preserve. Use the crosswalks and lights to first cross Duportail and then the Bypass Highway. Once across the Bypass Highway stay on the sidewalk and just after crossing the railroad track the trail will be on your left. The trail parallels the railroad track on your left and a series of apartment buildings on your right, after the last apartment building the Yakima River will be on your left and you will descend almost to the river and with a couple of sharp turns cross under the Interstate and in a couple hundred yards be at the parking area in Chama Natural Preserve. Between the underpass and the parking area there is a trail which goes to the left, this trail will take you up to Queensgate Drive and intersect with the Keene Road Trail.
If we choose the other direction at Duportail Street, cross Duportail Street and then continue south on the trail. You will have a split int the trail but it doesn’t really matter which one you take as they both end up on Thayer Drive (about a block apart). If you choose the left path when you get to Thayer Drive turn right and proceed one block to the intersection of Lawless Drive and Thayer Drive. If you choose the right path you will end at this intersection. At Lawless Drive you have to cross the street, use care, there is traffic only coming from your right but it is a freeway off ramp so cars can be going faster than expected (posted at 30 just past this intersection) and you will find the trail on the southwest corner of the intersection. Once across Lawless Drive it is a short downhill to the end of the trail at Wellisian Way and Arron Drive. Although not part of the trail it is easy to cross Wellisian Way (Crosswalk and lights) and continue east on the sidewalk which turns into a trail after crossing Goethals Boulevard (crosswalk no lights) until you reach Jadwin Boulevard. Turn right and cross Jadwin Boulevard (crosswalk no lights) heading south, after about a block and a half you will cross the railroad tracks and be at the junction of Carrier Road, turn left to connect to the Richland Riverfront Trail and the Sacajawea Heritage Trail or turn left to connect with the Keene Road Trail.
Although not a scenic trail until you get close to the river it is a good trail to get through Richland with very little traffic other than on the streets you cross. I typically will head north on the Richland Riverfront Trail and using Spengler Street and the Bypass Shelter Trail as my southerly return via a different route, so it becomes more of a loop rather than out and back.
I live in the area and ride portions of this trail almost every day and have ridden the entire trail at times. When I ride the entire trail I usually leave my car for service near the Columbia Center Mall and ride out to West Richland to stop for coffee before returning as it gives the mechanics around three hours to get every thing sorted out. As Trailbear stated in his review that trail heads are hard to find but there are ample places close by to park. Trailbear even missed the eastern end of the trail as there is a section from Bellerive Drive and Steptoe Street. This additional block (0.35 miles) runs a fenced corridor between apartments and homes behind the fences. The end at Steptoe just ends at the western side of the street, no crosswalk or any indication that is anything special. I normally begin the trail at the sme location Trailbear references as the eastern terminus of the trail but since I’m local I’m usually heading north on Bellerive Drive and make a left turn onto the trail so we’ll start or narrative at that point.
As Trailbear points out there is not a lot of activity on this trail so it’s a nice one to ride. The trail is asphalt and is wide so a short blast on my horn to make others aware (avoids the you scared me response as you go by) that I’m passing them is usually all that is required and there is room for two pedestrians and a bicycle at the same time. There are sections of this trail which are straight (good sight line for others) and have little or no others as you pass so if you want to go fast you can.
The first section of the trail has houses behind a fence on the north and a large church on the south. After 0.17 miles we come to Venus Circle which has a marked cross walk but not lights. We next pass some apartments on the left with a large hedge on our right (watch for some uneven pavement due to tree roots in this area) until we reach an earthen berm across the Amon waterway and continue to Leslie Road. Leslie Road has a crosswalk and trail user initiated flashing lights to make a safe crossing. After crossing Leslie Road we reach the first location where you could consider parking you vehicle. There is a pizza parlor with a fairly large lot (park in the northwest corner) and just the other side of the pizza parlor is a Safeway which also has a large lot. In this area can be found several small restaurants and a Starbucks if the need arises.
Continuing west the trail takes a slight bend to the right and then you are faced with a split in the trail, keep left as the right only goes up into a neighborhood plus the trail is very uneven if you go that way. On the right you will have houses and on the left you will have the backside of the businesses which face Safeway. Upon reaching Elementary Street you will notice that Keene Road is now on your left, there is a crosswalk at Elementary Street, but no lights associated with it. The trail continues to the west until you reach Badger Mountain Community Park (1.5 miles from Bellerive Drive) whereas Trailbear reported there are restroom facilities and a drinking fountain between the ballfields. To the west and adjacent to the park is Yoke’s market (good deli sandwiches) a Dutch Brothers Coffee and An Original Pancake House. Back on the trail you will then reach Englewood Drive which has marked crosswalks and lights. After crossing Englewood Drive the trail continues west and crosses Lambert Street which has a crosswalk, no lights. If on a bicycle it is a step short climb to the street but as the neighborhood it serves is a large loop the traffic is minimal. We next reach the intersection of Shockley Road (currently dead ends at the trail so no traffic). It was just to the west of Shockley Road where one morning I saw a Coyote just to the right of the trail in the scrub brush.
The next point we reach is Queensgate Village, a collection of small shops and businesses, on the right. The extreme east end of the parking lot is designated as trail parking (about ten spaces) so this is another place to park. Continuing to the west we approach Queensgate Drive and come across a location which has been featured on Food Networks Diners, Drive-ins, & Dives. In the building on our right is Ethos Bakery if you desire to stop for a treat. At Queensgate Drive we have a decision for our journey, continue on the Keene Road Trail or take the route to the Sacajawea Heritage Trail, Richland River Trail, or the Bypass Shelterbelt Trail. If we desire one of the later choices turn right on Queensgate Drive and follow the trail north crossing Jericho Road (crosswalk, no lights and almost zero traffic) and Columbia Park Trail (crosswalk to the east of the roundabout, be mindful of cars as some are not looking as they exit the roundabout). Just north of Columbia Park Trail (south end of next roundabout) the trail will turn to the east and parallel the Interstate heading east. At this same point, just before the trail bollard, there is a turnout to the east which leads over to three wineries which of course have wine tasting and some have food available. It is a fast downhill (watch for folks coming up) to the Yakima River bridge and the Chama Nature Reserve. (I’ll do a review for the Chama Nature Reserve in a separate entry as it is the key to getting between the various trails/bike routes in this area).
Back to the Keene Road Trail, cross Queensgate Drive (crosswalk and crossing lights, east end has two lights; one for the right turn lane and one for Queensgate Drive, pay attention). After crossing Queensgate Drive there is a mini mart, Taco Time, and coffee shop on the right. Continuing west we cross Jericho Road (crosswalk, no lights) and the continue across the bridge over the Interstate and come to Lincoln Landing (crosswalk, no lights). At this point we can turn right and proceed into the Vintner Square Shopping area where there are several fast food and normal restaurants available. The trail continues west to Duportail Street (crosswalk with crossing lights), right turn will also take you into Vintner Square but on a busy street. Although not as close as some of the other parking areas, Vintner Square could be a possible location to park your vehicle. After crossing Duportail Street there is a mini mart/gas station (drinks & restroom). The trail continues west to Kennedy Road where there is a Black Rock Coffee on the other side of Keene Road. Cross Kennedy Road (crosswalk and crossing lights) and continue west. From here to the west end of the trail there are no facilities available. The trail continues to Bombing Range Road (currently has a roundabout, however, the city has indicated it will be removed in the near future so should be crosswalk and crossing lights).
After crossing Bombing range Road the trail continues west crossing Highlands Boulevard and Hickory Avenue (both with crosswalks but no lights) until reaching Belmont Boulevard (the current western end of the trail) and our turn around point where we backtrack to our starting point. On the southeast corner is a gas station with a sub shop. I envision that in the future the trail will continue west to the intersection of Keene Road and Van Giessen Street as this area is developed. When I ride the entire trail I normally turn right on Belmont Boulevard and ride the trail to Kilawea Drive where I move from the sidewalk/trail to the bike lane and continue north to Paradise Way where I take a right turn heading east. On Paradise Way there will be a school on your left and just past the school is a small shopping center with a mini mart, a Yoke’s Market (good deli and where I stop for coffee) and a couple of other places for food.
If you are comfortable riding a bike lane on a somewhat busy street you can continue east on Paradise Way to Bombing Range Road where you will make a right turn otherwise backtrack your route on Paradise Way and Belmont Avenue to the Keene Road Trail. There are no lights or stop signs on Bombing Range Road and the traffic can be moderate to heavy at times but there is a well-marked bike lane to Keene Road where you will turn left onto the Keene Road Trail and proceed back to your starting point.
The description led me to believe there was a 15-mile paved "southern segment" between Ice Harbor Dam and Snake River Junction. Consulting, Google Maps, it appeared that the trail north of Levey Park would be paved (as I assumed was indicated by an unbroken, green line). Unfortunately, these assumptions led to a disappointing biking outing. Levey Park is terribly dilapidated and neglected and the trail heading both north and south of Levey Park is fairly intense gravel and not really accessible unless you have a fat tire bike and enjoy motoring through gravel. The scenery is great but it is not a biking trail.
First time on this trail. Pretty along the River but I agree with others poorly marked so we did lots of turning around and backtracking. Will definitely do it again but will start further up the line to avoid traffic areas.
This loose gravel used as a trail substrate makes these trails unpassable by bicycle. The loose gravel is tantamount to attempting to ride a bicycle across a sand dune. The gravel is soft and loose and creates too much friction for a bicycle ride longer than a quarter mile. This is a real shame and potential waste of resources. Trails must be hard packed for decent travel by bicycle. This isn't the only trail with this issue here in Washington. Many sections of the Palouse to the Cascades trail also suffer the same poor choice in trail substrate.
We started this loop at our hotel on Clover Island. We crossed over the Columbia on the Ed Hendler Bridge, into Pascoe, then headed upriver, passing many nice parks. For the most part, the trail is right beside the river. We then crossed over the river again on the I 182 bridge, and rode upriver on the Riverfront trail to find some lunch. This starts in the Columbia Point Marina park. There are plenty of places for lunch along this trail . We then headed back downriver to Kennewick. It is not a scenic on this side.
And I agree about the poor signage. This trail is not well marked, we had to rely on Google maps (with bicycling turned on), to find our way. Mostly around the bridges.
I am very sad to see that there is very little work being done on this trail. It will be ENORMOUSLY popular if it is ever finished! Right now the surface is horrible to ride, except on the very ends. With the popularity of rails to trails, I guarantee that this would be a much-loved and used trail if it was improved. The paved sections are great, and the trailheads are, too. There has been work on this trail, with the restrooms and paving. Let's hope the improvements continue! I would love to ride it end to end someday.
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