Our Parks

Badger Mountain Centennial Preserve

The product of a grassroots public fundraising campaign by the Friends of Badger Mountain organization, the Preserve was established in 2005, the year of the County’s centennial.  Goals for saving Badger Mountain were to preserve views, protect upland shrub-steppe habitat, and provide for non-motorized uses such as hiking, biking, and horse riding.  In the years since, the Preserve has been expanded to over one square mile in size and features eight miles of trails.  With over 200,000 patron visits each year, it is one of the most visited parks in the Tri-Cities.

Candy Mountain Preserve

Candy Mountain became Benton County’s tenth park in June of 2016.  A State of Washington grant, matched by funds raised in the community by the Friends of Badger Mountain, afforded the acquisition of 186 acres in Goose Gap and the upper slopes of the mountain.  A parking area and multiple trails have been developed, including various interpretive and other elements.

Horn Rapids Park

Horn Rapids has been owned by Benton County since the 1960s and has a fairly rich history.  The bend in the river and the natural rapids created a popular fishing location for Native Americans, and the Wanapum still set-up fishing platforms here near the dam.  Later, the Longmire Party crossed at this location as a part of Naches Pass Trail adjunct to the Oregon Trail.  After having been used as an internment camp during World War II (“Columbia Camp”) the property was used by Hanford contractors during the 1950s before slowing being developed as a public park in the decades that followed.  Protected by over 5 miles of Yakima River frontage on one side and the public lands on the other, Horn Rapids Park offers over 800 acres of transitional river-to-upland shrub-steppe habitat that is accessible and relatively quiet.  Horn Rapids has a horse camp, model airplane facility, boat launch, and miles of multi-use trails. The park is renowned as a sanctuary for both quantity and variety of dragonflies and birds, causing it to be a bit of a destination for nature photographers and people trying to check different species off of their lists.

Dogs are permitted at Horn Rapids, but they must be on a leash at all times.

Overnight Camping

The Horn Rapids Park Campground is no longer open for drop-in or individual camping.

We still accommodate large groups at Horn Rapids.  Groups wishing to use the campground must rent a minimum of 10 campsites ($30 per site, per night), must schedule and confirm in advance, and must pay in advance.  Please make arrangements by email at parks@co.benton.wa.us or by phone at 509-736-3053.

The change in operations is due to the demands put upon the park and our staff by vandalism, transience, and non-payment of fees.  This behavior has increased in recent years and has overwhelmed our staff’s abilities to manage the system and to provide a safe and pleasant experience for recreational campers.  This change in operations applies until further notice.

Horse Heaven Vista

Horse Heaven Vista lies above Prosser along Highway 221 on the crest of the Horse Heaven Rim.  A two-acre site, Horse Heaven Vista is essentially a viewpoint with a small paved and landscaped parking area and a modest shelter.  Benton County has owned Horse Heaven Vista since the early 1960s,

Horse Heaven Cemetery

Added to the parks portfolio in 2012, Horse Heaven Cemetery is a two-acre decommissioned pioneer cemetery located about seven miles south of Benton City.  Established in 1893 by the Dennis family, the cemetery has not had a burial since the 1940s. It has been challenged by the harsh conditions and the passage of time, but the County has been undertaking some modest restoration and beautification efforts in recent years to provide some dignity to the grounds and make it more of a point of interest.

Hover Park

Hover Park lies about six miles downstream of Two Rivers Park on the Columbia River, and is a Corps of Engineers property operated by Benton County under the same lease as Two Rivers.  Hover consists of about 200 acres of undeveloped open space, and is near the site of the old town of Hover, remnants of which can be identified in the area. The Park Board is currently evaluating future options for Hover Park. Hover Park does not allow overnight camping or off-road vehicle use. 

Rattlesnake Mountain Shooting Facility

The Rattlesnake Mountain Shooting Facility is operated on behalf of Benton County by the  Tri-Cities Shooting Association. The County leases the property located between MP 8.2 and MP 9 on SR-225 jointly from Washington State and the US Bureau of Land Management. See the "How to get here" page for more details.  Multiple ranges have been constructed on the property to accommodate multiple varied shooting disciplines.  According to the TCSA, nearly 30,000 individuals participate in various shooting activities annually, all under qualified Range Safety Officers oversight.  The Tri-Cities Shooting Association has an enrollment of nearly 2,500 members.  You can learn more about the organization by visiting their website:  Tri-Cities Shooting Assc. Rattlesnake Mountain Shooting Facility | Facebook

The featured pictures are from our law enforcement shooting range.

Two Rivers Park

Two Rivers is the County’s most developed and most visited park, easily packing-in over 1,000 patrons per day in the summer.  It is a bridge linking urban park amenities such as a playground, picnic sites, and 19 acres of lawn to rural open space qualities such as nature trails, native habitat, and open space.  The park has three sheltered lagoons, fed from over two miles of Columbia River shoreline, and the last downstream developed boat launch in the Tri-Cities.  Benton County leases Two Rivers Park from the US Army Corps of Engineers.

Vista Park

Originally developed by the Vista Junior Women’s Club in 1970, Vista Park is the County’s smallest park, located in the Tri-Cities Heights neighborhood of Kennewick.  It was completely remodeled in 2015 and 2016, with a new playground, refurbished lawn, donated tree, repainted wall, and other updates.

Wallula Gap Preserve

The County's Wallula Gap Preserve consists of three discontinuous parcels, ownership of which was transferred from the National Park Service to the County in the early 1990s.  The parcels are remote and generally inaccessible, one of which being little more than the sheer basalt cliffs of Wallula Gap itself.  These parcels, along with their sister parcels in the Two Sisters area of Walla Walla County, have “National Natural Landmark” status, and as such the County must file status reports with the Park Service every five years. Wallula is potentially a prime location for land trusts to buy land for perpetual public use, connecting these parcels and facilitating opportunities for unique outdoor experiences in our area.