Badger Mountain - Canyon Trail

Badger Mountain is the go-to summit hike for Tri-Cities residents, and the Canyon Trail is the most direct route up. It starts with a set of 64 steep steps that serve as an honest preview of what follows: a steady, no-nonsense climb through open sagebrush hillside to the 1,579-foot summit. Benches along the way give you a reason to pause and look around as the views open up behind you.

From the top, the panorama takes in the Tri-Cities sprawl, the Columbia and Yakima Rivers, Hanford Reach, White Bluffs, and the Horse Heaven Hills. On clear days, Mount Rainier and Mount Adams stand on the western horizon. A monument near the summit marks the high-water line of ancient Lake Lewis, the massive glacial flood lake that covered this landscape 11,000 years ago to roughly 1,250 feet of elevation. It puts the geology of the place in perspective.

This is an urban-fringe trail that serves as the daily workout loop for a lot of locals. You will share it with dog walkers, runners, and families. Wildflowers brighten the hillsides in spring. The trail connects to the Sagebrush Trail and other routes on the mountain, so you can mix and match distances. No pass required, and the trailhead is right off Queensgate Drive in Richland with a proper parking lot.