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.

We took a two hour detour to visit Palousa Falls today and if I could do it over again, I would opt…read morenot to make the drive. The roads are terrible, especially the gravel road leading up to the park. We did not have the Discover Pass so it was a $10 day use fee. There were clean restrooms and a few shaded picnic spots but no cell service. It was too hot to do any real hiking, as the only shade is near the parking lot by the tables, but we did walk to a few different viewpoints. I actually found the rock formations above the falls to be as lovely or perhaps lovloer than the falls. It was a bit underwhelming to me for the amount of effort needed to visit but, but one girl's "meh" is another girl's "wow" so I hope the photos and information are helpful to anyone trying to decide whether to make the voyage.

What a beautiful park with a huge waterfall. Gorgeous western scenery with well maintained trails…read more Some of the trails have no rails so you need to keep little ones at the main area only.

The terrain here is unique to ride. The ancient riverbed makes for a course feel to the sand. Mixed…read morewith the various plants, very manageable, even on a smaller motorcycle. The open bowl areas have deeper sand. Not too many huge razorbacks that could be hazardous. Good spot right after a light rain.

Yes, I came close to murdering my dogs on this hike, and I had visions of cool watery mirages while…read morethinking I could easily suffer from dehydration and forever lose myself within the maze of dunes ad nauseum, but I still have to give this place 5-stars! --I can't blame Juniper Dunes for MY being ill-prepared. --I can't blame Juniper Dunes for a wonderful spring day (first 80+degF day of the year) which gave me a sunburn. --I can't blame Juniper Dunes for my packing one measly bottle of water to be shared amongst the three of us animals (my two dogs & I). --And I can't blame Juniper Dunes for being so cool as to make you want to keep hiking & hiking & hiking & hiking Juniper Dunes Wilderness is such a cool desert-y treasure, and it's less than an hours drive from the Tri-Cities. I don't know the whole political backstory of the area, but I do know it's been a bit elusive. The land is a protected Federal wilderness area. However, it's virtually surrounded by private land--this makes access a bit touchy. All the trips I've made here have been via the northern trailhead. The best way to get here from the Tri-Cities is to take the Pasco-Kahlotus Highway east (check out the google map on here). The drive out is through farmlands. During my recent drive I saw Asparagus was being harvested (mmm!), an old single-room school, and also several of the biggest mailboxes I've ever seen (musta been a farm thing--I should have snapped a photo of 'em). You take a gravel road as your almost near the trailhead, and then approach a nice Welcome sign for the area (see attached). The trailhead is near paddock for cows, so the moo-moo's will definitely check you out as you approach. You will also see a nice sign with rules about the Wilderness (for those using this access point)---the main thing to note is that this entrance is only open from March - May. Since this is a protected area (it's fenced all-around), a really good thing is that you won't see any of those pesky off-road vehicles in here--none of their scarring tracks or piercing howls. Within about 5-10min of hiking one will quickly escape the drudgery of farmlands, cows and tractors and be enveloped by silent sandy beauty. There is quite a bit of vegetation, but the sand dunes are clearly evident. The sand workout you get will slap you upside the face quick. You will also begin to see your first Junipers (this area is known for having the northernmost grove of Juniper pines). This is a rough hike, but it's so worth it. Now if you were more prepared, you'd have a really good time. For me, I spent half the time worrying about rationing our water pathetic single bottle of water. My furry friends were too furry and thirsty to make a trudge like this. I felt like such a bad poppa as they were struggling toward the end of the hike. But yeah, it's a really cool hike. You are surrounded by farmland, but as you dip up and down sand dunes you quickly forget civilization in the silence. In April there were many types of wildflowers in bloom--think of pinks, bright purples, & golden yellows. There was also something which emitted the sweetest aroma---I wish I could bottle it! All in all a great hike! * BRING WATER * PUT ON SUN TAN LOTION * BE PREPARED FOR A SANDY WORKOUT * MAYBE LEAVE DOGGIES HOME * YOU ONLY HAVE FROM MARCH - MAY **** And most importantly: HAVE FUN OUT THERE! ****

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.

These trails aren't just for winter sports. I've made it here during the summer to take my…read moremountain bike for a ride. I parked at the Sno-Park Parking lot where one would go during the winter months. Here you have a couple of dirt roads to choose from for off-road options. I decided to do some climbing and went for NFD Rd 64--to get to this road from the parking lot, ride your bike further up the valley a few hundred yards (their's a trail), and then take right. This road is fairly nice. There are lots of rock on it, but no potholes. It is a fairly uphill jaunt from the get-go. As I was approaching the top of the valley, I eyed a side road. The sign on it said (6400 500), so I don't know which is the name of the road, but I decided to take it, because it looked tiny and way less traveled (in fact it was closed to motorized vehicles). Nice. Yeah, this trail ended up being the high-point of the day. It wasn't single track, but it was close. I must admit I had the willies when I saw a half-eaten deer leg within the first minute of climbing (the rest of the ride I kept thinking of the cougar, bear, or zombie which was eyeing me from the bushes as I rode by). I love to climb. I love burning my quads like Hades. It felt good to be riding. Unfortunately, this side road only lasted a little bit before I made it up to the top of the ridge/mountain. Here this trail ties back up with one of the major dirt roads again. There are some decent views here. I then took the little road downhill. Man, I'm must be a total old fogie, because wow---I think I rode the breaks the entire way down! The road was steep, and I hit some high speeds within seconds. There were also rocks to watch out for as well. In other words, I rode it like an old person (which I am I suppose). But it was fun. It's the kind of fun, where you just have to yell with abandon (I think I did a few times--with a smile). These trails are definitely good for snow activities, and I'd say they are decent for bike riding. I don't know if I'd come here to do some straight-up hiking though. I'd save the Cascades for that. NOTE: Be careful on this road in the winter. This is the infamous scene of where my truck and my crew rolled down a mountain just over a year ago!

Perfect cabin for me & my two adult daughters & my three 10-13 yr old granddaughters to spend a…read morecouple nights! Used the picnic table, the fire pit, the small refrigerator & the clean nearby shower house! Very pleasant & little noise from nearby interstate for restful nights.

We've been camping here at Emigrant Springs State Park for a couple year's now and have always…read moreenjoyed our time here. Always in the cabins. The cabins have a cozy vibe but they are pretty standard cabins. I heard they are about to take out all the mini fridges inside the cabins along with the gas oven / 3 burner stove top on the deck. That feature has been a staple for us. Not bringing our big @$$ cook stove was awesome but no more. That's fine. We'll be bringing our big @$$ stove.

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.

Ok, ok, I didn't really hike this trail, and I reckon I won't be able to until next June (it will…read morebe snowed in till then), but we tried to hike it, darn it!! Yes, for a first date, I chose a hike. Unfortunately, there were a few issues (which weren't the trail's fault): 1) Getting to the trail head is a bit of a drive. Yes, it takes about 1hr (from Tri-Cities) to get to the first dirt road, but after that, you have something like another hour of dirt road driving. 2) We picked a day with questionable weather. As we were approaching the Blues (i.e. The Blue Mountains), we were accompanied by some dark ominous clouds. So yeah, for much of the dirt road driving, we had some precipitation. 3) It was hard to find the trailhead. The place I loaded on my gps was a wrong location. Lucky, we ran into some campers/hunters, and they were able to sorta point us in the right direction. For the record, I'm pretty sure the have the correct location on this Yelp page. So, the place goes by several names: Mt. Misery Trailhead, Teepee Campground, Oregon Butte Trail, etc. I think they are all here. We originally came here in search of the Oregon Butte, and the Fire Lookout on top of the Butte. But as I said, the weather was dreary, we drove a ways...and it was a first date!! I didn't want to get us further lost, all muddy, and I really didn't want to my date to think I was a total outdoors loser...which I can be sometimes, as many can attest. At any rate, the forest of the Blues is far different from the Cascades. You don't have huge mountains & great views. The terrain here is frankly boring, but I do have to say at this trailhead the scenery looked nice. There was a nice big valley that we overlooked, and the thought of a Fire Lookout also sounded cool. Well, all of this work was recon for our next "real" attempt. The drive out here is interesting. During the drive we came across several springs (they had troughs at them, for horses I reckon). At the Trailhead, there is a Northwest Forest Pass requirement ($5). This hike is recommended from June - Oct.

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!