Richland combines a defining history with a variety of ways to spend time outdoors. The outdoor area at the REACH Museum brings together native plants, sculptures by local artists and sweeping views of the Columbia River; trails and water activities offer other options. When planning your trip, it helps to distinguish between these interests: Would you like to learn about the city’s history, explore the river, or plan specific water activities? Richland offers its own points of interest for each of these themes.
Richland’s History in the City
The Alphabet Homes, often also called ABC Homes, were built starting in 1943 to house workers and families who supported the Hanford-Manhattan Project during World War II. The Greenway, now called Richland Parkway, was Richland’s social and commercial center during the Manhattan Project. These two topics show different sides of this history: the Alphabet Homes represent housing for workers and families, while the Greenway represents the area’s social and commercial role in the city. At Richland Parkway, visitors can enjoy art, entertainment, recreation and shopping; individual offerings may change.
River Landscape and Trails
The outdoor area at the REACH Museum includes gardens with native plants, sculptures by local artists and sweeping views of the Columbia River. Here, landscaped gardens and art sit alongside views of the river. Amon Creek Natural Preserve encompasses 75 acres of riparian habitat along Amon Creek. It has 3 to 4 miles of gravel and unpaved trails for hiking and biking.
For Richland’s hiking and biking trails, the city’s GIS resource indicates more than 170 miles. A paved trail runs as a loop on both sides of the Columbia River. These figures answer different questions: the GIS resource provides an overview of the scale of the city’s trail network, while the description of Amon Creek Natural Preserve gives the size of a specific riverside area and the trail distances there. This lets you distinguish between an overview of hiking and biking trails in Richland and a named natural area with trails for hiking and biking.
Leslie R. Grove Park also offers clear practical information: it is open year-round, with no set operating hours. Leslie R. Grove Park also offers boating opportunities and hiking trails.
Water Activities with Different Focuses
Richland’s water activities range from lap lanes and diving boards at George Prout Pool to the interactive spray features at Badger Mountain Spray Park. Howard Amon Park has a wading pool; river swimming areas are also among the city’s water offerings. These locations offer different ways to include water in your trip plans: lap swimming, spray features, a wading pool or river swimming areas.
Discover more destinations: Kennewick, Prosser.
Go to the broader travel overview: Benton.
