Outdoors
Boat launches and river access
Public ramps on the Columbia, Snake and Yakima rivers and the lakes behind McNary and Ice Harbor dams, from city parks to primitive WDFW access sites.
Two Rivers Park
Park on E Finley Rd in Kennewick. Has a playground, picnic tables and public restrooms. Dogs allowed.
Sacajawea Historical State Park
State park at the confluence of the Snake and Columbia rivers where the Lewis and Clark expedition camped in 1805, with an interpretive center, picnic lawns and river access.
Lyons Ferry State Park
Camping, swimming and boating where the Palouse meets the Snake River, near Palouse Falls.
Leslie Groves Park
North Richland riverfront park with sports fields and access to the riverside trail.
Howard Amon Park
Richland’s riverfront park beside the Uptown district: shaded lawns, the riverside path, a playground and the summer concert and art-fair home base.
Columbia Point Marina Park
A park on Riverfront Trail, Richland. Has a playground, picnic tables and public restrooms. Dogs allowed.
Columbia Park
The region’s signature riverfront park: miles of Columbia River shoreline, the Sacagawea Heritage Trail, a family fishing pond, playgrounds, boat launches and a bandshell for festivals.
Clover Island
Port of Kennewick island with a marina, a riverside walkway, the lighthouse viewpoint, public art and waterfront dining.
Chiawana Park
West Pasco riverfront park on the Columbia with picnic areas and a section of the Sacagawea Heritage Trail.
Benton City Boat Launch
A concrete boat launch on the Yakima River, managed as a public water access site.
Charbonneau Park
A Corps campground on Lake Sacajawea above Ice Harbor Dam with 52 electric family sites, a boat ramp and marina, and open grassy lawns.
Clark Pond
A small unimproved boat launch on the Clark Pond in the Hope Valley Unit, managed as a public water access site.
Duportail Yakima River Access
A small unimproved boat launch on the Yakima River, managed as a public water access site.
Fishhook Park
A Corps campground among black-rock canyons on Lake Sacajawea, with 41 electric sites, 11 walk-in tent sites, a boat ramp and good fishing.
Hood Park Campground
An Army Corps campground on Lake Wallula just across the Snake River from Pasco, with 67 shaded family sites with electric hookups, a swim area and a boat ramp.
Hyde Road Yakima River Access
A gravel boat launch on the Yakima River, managed as a public water access site.
Mesa Lake Wildlife Area Unit
A lake and wetlands at the edge of Mesa with a gravel boat launch, warmwater fishing and waterfowl hunting. The lake is not stocked.
Plymouth Park
A Corps campground on an island in the Columbia at Plymouth, below McNary Dam, with 32 electric sites, a swim beach and a boat ramp.
Ringold Springs Columbia River Access
A unimproved boat launch on the Columbia River in the Hanford Reach, managed as a public water access site.
Snively Road Yakima River Access
A gravel boat launch on the Yakima River, managed as a public water access site.
Vernita Bridge Columbia River Access
A two-lane unimproved boat launch on the Columbia River at the top of the Hanford Reach, managed as a public water access site.
Windust Park
A quiet, remote Corps park on Lake Sacajawea in Franklin County with 24 primitive first-come, first-served campsites, shade trees and a boat ramp.
Before you launch
- WDFW water access sites need a Discover Pass or WDFW Vehicle Access Pass. State parks charge a daily launch fee ($7) on top of the Discover Pass.
- Washington law requires a life jacket for every person on board, and children 12 and under must wear one on boats under 19 feet while underway.
- Clean, drain and dry your boat and trailer to stop aquatic invasive species.
- Fishing rules change often. Check WDFW emergency rules before every trip.
Official sources: WDFW water access sites · WDFW fishing rules · Washington State Parks