Trail Etiquette
- Stay on established trails
- Be careful not to damage flora, fauna, or landscape
- Respect other trail users
- Respect private property
- Watch out for rattlesnakes
- Do not harass wildlife - include rattlesnakes
- Leave no trace behind. Please take out what you take in.
- No open fires
Access Point and Trails shown below. (For a better print version click here)
Location of Badger Mountain in Benton County, Washington
(Click on map for larger image in another window)
Skyline Trail - 2.25 miles (hikers, mountain bikers, horse riders)
- Directions: Take Keene Road west to Kennedy Road. Turn left on Kennedy and take it to Dallas Road. Turn left on Dallas. Go under I-182 overpass and continue to the top of hill.
- Turn left to a parking area up the gravel road and to the right maybe 0.1 mile. See entry photo1, and photo2
- The trail starts out from this parking area.
Canyon Trail - 1.25 miles (hikers)
- Directions: Take Keene to Shockley Road (near Bethel Church). Take Shockley to the end. Turn left on Queensgate and go up the hill.
- Park in the parking lot next to the cinder block pump house. From there, follow the trail around Westcliffe Park to the base of the mountain and the trailhead.
See WTA article from the November/December issue about our trailbuilding effort.
See 2005 and 2006 photos of our trailbuilding efforts.
Have any trail questions or comments? Want something improved or fixed? Give me a call (943-3992) or drop me an email to Jim.
Master Plan
Benton County in 2007-2009 is undertaking a master planning process for parks and open space. They expect to complete the plan in late 2009 For more information on Benton County’s master planning process, contact Adam Fyall, Community Development Coordinator, Benton County Commissioners' Office, 509-736-3053.
The first phase of acquisition of Badger Mountain is complete. Additional phases are being discussed. Thanks to all who donated, volunteered, wrote letters, or helped in other ways.
Access and Trails
Badger Mountain trails are open to the public for muscle-powered sports. One trail built in the fall of 2005 is for hikers only. A second trail built in the fall of 2006 is for hikers, mountain bikers and horse back riders. No motorized vehicles are allowed.
Trail Strategy
Benton County hosted meetings with user groups and the public over the fall, winter and spring of 2007-2008 to get input for a master long range plan for the Badger Mountain Centennial Preserve, as well as parks and open space in the County in general. The plan is expected to be completed in the fall of 2008.
59,000 Hikers a Year
Hikers on Badger Mountain rarely find themselves alone, and they might wonder just how many people take to the trails each year. Now we know. The electronic counter at the base of the Canyon Trail showed that over 59,000 hikers passed by in the 12 months that ended on May 10, 2009. You can see the specifics here. It seems like an astronomical number, and is surely one measure of success for the Badger Mountain Preserve.