A slew of parks within Pasco city limits offer plenty of recreational opportunities. Five-acre Heritage Park features a walking trail along the Columbia River, and tiny Cable Bridge Park allows impressive views of the park's namesake. Popular Chiawana Park covers 127 acres on the Columbia River, with views to the wetlands across the water. Here, a boat launch, dock, walking trails, volleyball court and playground keep visitors busy. More walking trails are available at 17-acre Riverview Park, which also contains baseball fields and a trailhead for the Sacajawea Heritage Trail.
Sacajawea State Park sits on a tip of land at the junction of the Snake and Columbia rivers. The park comprises 1.2 miles of trails through 284 acres plus a riverside boat launch, swimming beach on part of the 9,100 acres of shoreline, volleyball area and picnic tables. The park also features an interpretive center with detailed exhibits on the park's history as a campsite used by members of the 1805 Lewis and Clark expedition and about the life of Sacajawea, the expedition's only female member.
The Sacajawea Heritage Trail also honors the Lewis and Clark expedition heroine. The paved trail runs for 23 miles through part of Pasco and neighboring Kennewick and Richland. Hikers, joggers and cyclists are treated to outstanding views of the Columbia River, which the expedition used as they sailed to the Pacific Ocean. Several interpretive signs along the trail provide information on a spot's historical significance. Several trailheads are located throughout Pasco, including one at Riverview Park.
The Tri-Cities area is rich with park lands. Benton County, home to Richland and Kennewick, contains 2,000 acres of parks. Horn Rapids Park is 20 miles north of Pasco on the Yakima River, complete with trails, boat launch, campground and model airplane facility. Two Rivers Park, across the Columbia from Pasco, is a popular spot with 19 acres of grass lawn with nature trails and protected native habitat. The Badger Mountain Centennial Preserve is one of the best hiking spots near the city. Here, visitors can choose to descend through the Canyon Trail or ascend up the Skyline Trail to Badger Mountain's summit, where views extend for many miles across the desert landscape.
