Horse Heaven Hills

Horse Heaven Hills is a shrub steppe climb near Benton City that puts you on top of the plateau south of the Tri-Cities. The trailhead off McBee Road offers two routes up: a steep direct line and a longer, well-graded traverse. Take the longer route. It swings across the slope for about three-quarters of a mile, picks up an old road bed, then switchbacks through 600 feet of gain before a final rocky road push to the summit cairn.

From the top, the plateau drops away to the south and Rattlesnake Mountain fills the northwest horizon. On a clear day the Tri-Cities spread out toward Wallula Gap. The whole landscape feels enormous and empty. Wind is a constant companion up here, so pack a layer even on warm days.

The best window is April through early May, when the slopes turn green and wildflowers bloom across the otherwise brown steppe. By midsummer the heat and sun make this a punishing outing. There are no facilities at the trailhead, which has room for about eight cars. No pass is required. This is a quiet trail that rarely draws crowds, and several trip reporters have had the entire route to themselves.