Tri-Cities Washington Tourism

Located at the confluence of the Columbia, Snake and Yakima Rivers, the Tri-Cities is the hub of the Mid-Columbia region. When you visit this area, you will soon discover that you have stumbled onto the best golfing, swimming, boating, tennis, hunting, touring, hiking and sightseeing areas in Washington State.

Kennewick is the largest of the three cities. It is primarily a retail shopping, sports and convention community with a tremendous amount of business and banking. Places of interest are the East Benton County Historical Museum and the Columbia Parks’ Family Fishing Pond, and children’s playground of dreams. Shopping is a great pastime in Kennewick with major name stores and many specialty shops and art galleries. A 75,000 square-foot regional convention center opened this year.

Pasco is the fastest growing city of the Tri-Cities with a current population of 59,781. Pasco is primarily an agriculture community which produces alfalfa, corn and beans. The fertile land around this area is known as the best wine grape producing area in the state. More than 200 varieties of fruits, grains, crops and produce are grown in the Columbia Basin. The Pasco Farmer’s Market brings farmers from all over Washington State to sell their products.

Pasco is the county seat for Franklin County and is one of Washington State’s major trade centers. Many attractions in Pasco beckon to the traveler such as the Franklin County Historical Museum which is one of the best, the Washington State Railroad Historical Society Museum, the Sun Willows Golf Course, a Farmer’s Market and a cluster of fine local wineries. In fact, the Tri-Cities is the heart of Washington’s Wine Country, with more than 80 wineries within an hour’s drive!

Other places of interest are the Sacajawea State Park, Ice Harbor Dam, McNary National Wildlife Refuge, Juniper Dunes National Forest and Palouse Falls.

This is a paradise for hunters, fishermen and birders. Deer, Elk, Canadian geese, Chinese phea-sants, quail, chukars, Chinook salmon, steelhead, trout and large-mouth bass are plentiful. The Tri-Cities is located on the Pacific Flyway and is an important resting and feeding area for migratory waterfowl. Birds and other wildlife enjoy the McNary National Wildlife Refuge, the Chamna Natural Preserve, the Saddle Mountain Wildlife Refuge and the Hanford Reach National Monument.

Winter brings out the skiers and snowmobilers to the Blue Mountains and the Cascade Range which are only a short drive away. Most of the ski areas are equipped for night skiing and overnight accommodations.

Richland was at one time a small farming community before 1943. This is when the United States Government decided to build the nation’s first nuclear reactor at the Hanford site.

Richland stretches along the Columbia River, near its confluence with the Yakima River. It is home to beautiful and challenging golf courses, an inviting waterfront with a marina, several docks/piers, and a five-mile paved trail for walking, jogging, biking, rollerblading and stroller pushing. Restaurants and hotels offer panoramic views of the Columbia and the nearby hills. The city hosts outdoor concerts, a symphony, ballet, three community theater troupes, medieval renaissance and folklife festivals, and a classic car and street rod event. Richland also offers imaginative playgrounds, antique shops, wineries and a top-rated skateboard park. Water sport opportunities include steelhead fishing, boating, kayaking and water skiing. This city of 49,000 is also home to Columbia River Exhibition of History, Science and Technology (CREHST Museum) and the Allied Arts Gallery.

Richland is also the gateway to the Hanford Reach National Monument, which is the last free-flowing, non-tidal stretch of the Columbia River in the United States. The Hanford Reach offers a protected sanctuary for American White Pelican, mule deer, river otter, elk, coyote and a diverse variety of resident and migratory birds.