Have you ever seen Return of the Jedi? If so, do you remember Endor? What about the Imperial…read moreSpeeder Bikes Princess Leia & Luke Skywalker use to zip through the forest? Ummm...are you still with me? Yeah. Being a Star Wars nerd does something to one's social life. If you're still with me, then you might get an idea of riding single track on your mountain bike. Instead of beaming past redwoods, here you blast past large sage brush. I'm a novice to single track. I mainly ride fire roads and gravel roads. They're easy, and offer lots of space---not very technical. Single track on the other hand is a whole other beast. A beast catered to those masters of the fat tire. State Patrol is the Tri-City's offering of single track. I was skeptical. There are no hills here. It's a sandy desert. What kind of trails would they have here?? I was hesitant indeed. Last week, I finally made my way to State Patrol, and I am impressed. To get here, head for the actual State Patrol, and right there you will see a tiny road with a "Dead End" sign. That's where you can park and access the trails. I ended up jumping onto the trails directly to the right. They went slightly uphill. I wanted to get acquainted to the area, by riding the border of the trail area, and then delve into the more meaty trails. After riding by the State Patrol and Vehicle Inspection facilities, the "border trail" passes sort of near the I-82, and then away from the highway and along some farm fields. I passed several trails going the other way (and most likely down hill). Some trails were labeled. The first real trail I hit was "Baja". Oh snap! The twists and turns. Gravity (yes, gravity was invited to the party) pulled me down the switch backs and jumps. There were a couple of times when I just about ate it. I had a smile on. Now many of these trails are handmade. There are jumps dug into the trails if you want to try 'em---they looked too burly for my fraidy cat 'self--someday perhaps. Be aware that single tracks are narrow trails. I scraped my pedals on the ground many a time. Space is tight, and fun. And yes, there are hills. Once you make it to the bottom of the little canyon, you have to turnaround and go uphill. I actually had to dismount and walk my bike on one of these uphill trails. I don't know what this place will be like in hotter months, but with the cooler weather, this place was fine. I have heard rumors of rattlesnakes, so I was a bit wary and alert for them, but I didn't find any. I did see a little trash and broken beer bottles (rednecks always have to leave their mark). At the bottom of the canyon there is also.....a dam! Who woulda thunk there's a dam in the Tri-Cities!? A fun afternoon was had (check out the cool photos). Spent about 90min riding the trails and getting a great workout. I never did come across an Ewok though.

I really love this bike park!! I typically ride here, Galbraith and occasionally Beazley and will…read morehonestly say that I enjoy this park the most of the three. The tracks are super flowy and have the right amount of uphill mixed in the downs to keep things challenging and fast. I think the reason I like it better than others is because its not just one big uphill climb, followed by one steep fast downhill. I rarely feel to beat up from the climb to properly ride the downs. I am a weekend rider and don't see myself getting sick of this hill any time soon. If I rode everyday I could see myself longing for a Galbraith type park because State Patrols not technical and there is not a whole lot of variety or obstacles (almost no rocks/roots). My favorite runs are X-cut and Freeway and Woods. Fred and Johns are where to look for jumps and drops. I would advise to inspect any drop/jump before you try them as I have noticed many of the jumps here have uphill landings or jumps that need landing repair. The jumps seems to be kept up the best on Fred and Johns and I always see people there working on them.

The gravel parking lot is right off the side of the road, and I originally drove past it without…read morerealizing that was the lot. So, I had to turn around and drive back, which was slightly nerve-wracking as the highway has some twists and turns that make it difficult to tell if there is oncoming traffic. On the plus side, there seems to be plenty of room for parking, and we were the only ones there. There's a sign detailing the legend of the twin sisters, and then there's a short but steep trail to the base of the rocks. Great place to stretch your legs!

Beautiful site. Easy trail. A bit more difficult incline. Enjoyed it. Turning off the road was not…read moreas difficult as they say. Just prepare ahead of time warning drivers behind you. Several people did come flying in like bats out of hell but there is no need for that.

A great place to Wander…read more Tip#1: If you're using Google Maps to find this place, simply put in "Yellepit", and it will get you there. On the sunny Saturday that I visited, sleepy tumbleweeds lined Ayers Road, the gravel stretch that ultimately leads to the trailhead. Admittedly, it was alarming to come over a hill to see an armed man standing in the road facing me, but he, his rifle, and the other men, were there for some shooting fun. Not too far past them, was the end of the road - or rather, a closed, barbed wire gate. There's only space for about 2 parked cars to the right of the road, by the fence. I was the third, so just parked as far on the side as I could. Tip #2: Climb (carefully) OVER the barbed wire fence. Just to the left of the opening, is a good place to do this. Do not (as I did), try to open the gate. It's easy to open - it nearly literally flies open -- the barbed wire and wooden planks eager to return to their at-ease positions, and is notably much less easy to close/reassemble. I felt very, very, "city" when this happened, and I struggled for a few minutes to amend the situation. Tip #3: See Tip #2 for the following 2 barbed-wire fences you'll encounter. I crossed paths with very few people along the way, and none seemed to have a true plan of action. A couple gentlemen I encountered had been out, wandering the cow trails, and told me to just carve my own path, be wary of the drop-offs. Tip #4: Be comfortable with unclear directions, unmarked pathways, and changes-in-plan. Or perhaps, don't do this hike. I ended up on cow-trails myself, learning a bit about their dexterity along the narrow stretches. I was impressed! In any case, I missed whatever direction would have led me to the Mound Pond Overlook, which had been my goal, but still discovered worthy vistas and a very peaceful area to spend the afternoon. At one point, I was startled to happen upon two cars, on a bluff, that appeared to have fallen from a cliff above - perhaps in the 70s/80s(?). It's not really something you expect to encounter when wandering cow trails high above the Columbia. It was a gorgeous afternoon - and once I got far enough away from the makeshift gun range, it was also peaceful. This is a great hiking area if you are: 1. Comfortable with general wandering 2. Not afraid of armed people shooting nearby 3. Directionally sound enough to find your way back to your car, once you've been wandering around 4. Love and appreciate views of the Columbia River 5. Comfortable with wandering cows Final Tip: Check out the wta.org site for more trail info. This ultimately *still* didn't get me to where I wanted to be, but was helpful, nevertheless.

I'm surprised no one is ever there. Great place in the winter to walk your dog. Today, I only saw a…read moretour bus.

Outdoor adventures, and interactive museum!! This place is definitely well managed and ready for…read morepeople to explore. DISCOVERY PASS is required to gain entry; or 10 dollar day pass. This park is at the confluence of the Snake River and Columbia River. In addition, great information about Sacajawea and how she helped Lewis and Clark navigate along the rivers starting in 1805. Plenty of trees to keep cool during summer months.

This hike happened by happenstance…read more A friend and I were supposed to go up to Horseshoe Prairie (http://www.yelp.com/biz/horseshoe-prairie-nordic-ski-area-pendleton) for snowshoeing, but unfortunately, I let my friend drive and he was a little too confident about his car's snowy-road-handling ability. After spinning tires a time or two, we canned our fun-in-the-snow plans, turned around, and slid down the hill to civilization. While picking up chocolates at Petite Noirs (http://www.yelp.com/biz/petits-noirs-milton-freewater), the owner mentioned a nearby hike. To not make the day a total loss, we were all ears, and went for it. Just off of main street in Milton Freewater, you take the turn off for Harris Park (as you're driving south out of town, it'll be the left BEFORE you take the hill up and out of town). You then drive about 10 miles up a canyon carved by the South Fork of the Walla Walla River. This canyon is part of the Blue Mountains, and it's amazing to see how quickly the landscape changes from the drabby flatness of Milton-Freewater to the alpine-y beauty of the Blues & Walla Walla river. Once you're in the area of the park, keep going until you approach the trailhead for the South Fork Walla Walla River trail. Here there are quite a few parking spots, a couple of restrooms and river bubbles within earshot. You are clearly outside of civilization and within an honest to goodness country landscape. The deep valley is beautiful and the trail looks inviting. For the most part the trail parallels the river. Sometimes it sidetracks and goes up the side of the valley wall, but the river is always within view. The trail is well-kept and nice (other than a few boggy/muddy spots). We went for about 2.5 miles on the trail before calling it a day. We enjoyed sightings of elk at one spot (we later saw herds of deer, turkey, and even a scooting coyote during our dusk drive out). I'm so glad I made it here. I can definitely see myself coming back to dip myself within the magic waters (à la Field of Dreams) and fly fishing the stream (à la A River Runs Through It). I've also heard that you can ride your mountain bike here too---I'd also be down for that! South Fork of the Walla Walla Trail. I will see you again---very, very soon.

This was a great hike with my dog. Very turn their was a beautiful view of the Walla walla River…read more Trail was in decent condition. Plenty of parking at the trailhead.

Badger Mountain has the best trails in the tri-cities area, with multiple trails around Badger…read moreMountain for beautiful views of eastern Washington. Anyone who likes hiking would be a fool to not hike around Badger Mountain while in the area. We had an awesome time here! My partner and I visited Badger Mountain for some hiking and and followed Google Maps to the trailhead that took us through an affluent part of the neighborhood of Richland that's high up in the mountains. Unlike in the Seattle area of popular trails, there was parking to be found during a Sunday afternoon in the lot. At the lot, there was a map of various trails, dog poop bags and off to the side was a small playground area with bathrooms and a water fountain. My partner and I hiked the Canyon Trail with our dog, which gets you to the top of Badger Mountain. Friends of Badger Mountain, which maintains the trails did a fantastic job with creating trails and there are even stairs in the beginning part of the hike to climb. The hike was easy for those who are used to hiking, but provides a good workout as it's not a stroll in the park. At the top of Badger Mountain is a bench and you can see beautiful views of the city and eastern and central Washington. And since there are multiple trails that connect to one another, I recommend taking one trail up and the descending on another trail for more views. Just remember that there is no shade coverage here, so be prepared. Great hike!

The playground area is a perfect age entire while the littles wait for others to hike the mountain!…read more It is clean and green!

Super scenic view once at the top. Elevation isn't crazy but definitely a good gradual climb. The…read moreview in late spring early summer must be amazing. Check it out and there is another trail just across the street!

Since the pandemic I have been hiking and running this trail. If you hit the trails at the right…read moretime in the morning it's not too bad at all. You gotta watch out for the people who don't leash their dogs and you dang near trip and fall over them if they get spooked and run into you.

Gave this trail another try & thought it was worthy of an update. Instead of driving to the top of…read moreHorse Heaven, I parked at the "official trailhead" at the base of the "hill". Wanted to ride the trail here, but within tens of feet, I was sadly turned away....by gravity. Yeah, I had to get off and walk. I then made it to a point and saw where the trail ultimately went. Ummm...scary. The only way I could make it to the top was if there was a "mountain bike escalator"--until that happens, this trail is strictly for the big-quaded hikers! PLAN B I took the gravel road (for autos) to the top of Horse Heaven (and to the trailhead I parked at last time). It's a nice steady 2-mile climb. My legs were feeling it, and I was liking it. To your left are the beautiful Horse Heaven Hills and the sky; to your right, the towns of Kiona, Prosser, and wineries---all from a stellar birdseye viewpoint. I heard a gunshot at one point. This caused me to stop and scan the farms below, but I couldn't see anything. I continued up at a cautious cadence. I made it to the top trailhead, and continued along the ridge trail (the one I tried last year--see my original Yelp). A personal note---this time I didn't have to walk up the hill. I made it all the way up via pedal power (stopped once, cuz of a balance issue, but got back in the saddle and finished off the hill---rocks, burly wind, and all). The descent was definitely sexy. There's nothing like barreling down a hill like a mad demon. At only a 20min drive away, this is a decent option for getting a quick leg workout. UPGRADE TO 3.5 stars (rounding UP).

Walk, drive, ride. It's you rchoice. Do you remember that…read moresong which includes," kiss the sky"? here is your chance. It's a vast open sky and view of lots of sand.