Outdoors & recreation

Rivers, ridges and shrub-steppe

Three rivers, long sunny seasons and trailheads minutes from downtown. Here’s where to go, and what to know about heat, water and passes before you do.

Find a park, trail or outdoor spot

Use “Good for: Dog-friendly” to see places where dogs are welcome.

Results: 53

Lyons Ferry State Park

Lakes, Rivers & BeachesDogs welcome

Connell

Camping, swimming and boating where the Palouse meets the Snake River, near Palouse Falls.

CampingSwimming

Leslie Groves Park

Boat Launches & Water AccessDogs welcome

Richland · Open now

North Richland riverfront park with sports fields and access to the riverside trail.

RiverTrail

Lawrence Scott Park

Parks & TrailsDogs welcome

Kennewick · Open now

Kennewick city park on W Quinault Ave. Has a playground, picnic tables and a basketball court. Dogs allowed.

Kenwood Park

Parks & TrailsDogs welcome

Kennewick · Open now

Park on S Garfield St in Kennewick. Has a playground and picnic tables. Dogs allowed.

Keewaydin Park

Parks & TrailsDogs welcome

Kennewick · Open now

Park on W Keewaydin Dr in Kennewick. Has a playground, picnic tables and a basketball court. Dogs allowed.

Jefferson Park

Parks & TrailsDogs welcome

Richland · Open now

Richland park on George Washington Way. Wheelchair-accessible entrance.

Jason Lee Park

Parks & TrailsDogs welcome

Richland · Open now

Richland park on McMurray Ave. Wheelchair-accessible entrance.

Howard Amon Park

Boat Launches & Water AccessDogs welcome

Richland · Open now

Richland’s riverfront park beside the Uptown district: shaded lawns, the riverside path, a playground and the summer concert and art-fair home base.

RiverfrontPlayground

Hover Park

Parks & TrailsDogs welcome

Kennewick · Open now

A park on E Hover Rd, Kennewick. Open 24 hours.

Horse Heaven Hills Park

Parks & TrailsDogs welcome

Kennewick · Open now

Kennewick city park on S Yelm St. Has a playground, picnic tables and public restrooms. Dogs allowed.

Hills West Park

Parks & TrailsDogs welcome

Richland

Richland park on Pinionwood Ct. Has a playground. Dogs allowed.

Highlands Grange Park

Parks & TrailsDogs welcome

Kennewick · Open now

A park on S Union St, Kennewick. Has a playground, picnic tables and a basketball court. Dogs allowed.

Hawthorne Park

Parks & TrailsDogs welcome

Kennewick · Open now

Kennewick park on N Ely Pl. Has a playground, picnic tables and a basketball court. Dogs allowed.

Hansen Park

Parks & TrailsDogs welcome

Kennewick

Park on S Columbia Center Blvd in Kennewick. Has a playground. Wheelchair-accessible entrance.

Grant Ave Park

Parks & TrailsDogs welcome

Prosser · Open now

A park on Grant Ave, Prosser. Dogs allowed.

Before you go

Heat: summer afternoons regularly top 100°F and most trails have no shade. Start at sunrise, carry more water than you think, and watch for rattlesnakes on warm days.

Rivers: the Columbia and Snake are big, cold and fast even when the surface looks calm. Wear a life jacket on the water and swim only at designated areas. Check today’s water temperatures.

Passes & fire: Washington state parks (Sacajawea, Palouse Falls, Lyons Ferry) require a Discover Pass. Check burn bans before any fire.

Good to know

  • Bateman Island is no longer reachable on foot. Its causeway was removed in 2026 to restore Yakima River flow for salmon.
  • Hanford Reach National Monument protects the last free-flowing stretch of the Columbia in the U.S.; the White Bluffs are its signature hike.
  • Palouse Falls, in northern Franklin County, is Washington’s official state waterfall, about 90 minutes from Pasco.

Share a photo from the outdoors

Reader photos may be featured with credit. We strip location data from every upload.

Share a photo

Share a photo you took in Benton or Franklin County. Location data is stripped from every upload.

Your contact info stays private.