Amon Creek Preserve

I'm always surprised about how many people don't know about the Amon Creek Preserve in Richland. If you didn't know about it, now you do! It's an awesome desert wilderness smack-dab in the middle of civilization. It's covered in sagebrush and sand--what's new--but it's still incredibly beautiful! There are so many trails that wind throughout the preserve and there's no established loop, so it's impossible to give you a set mileage, but I can tell you I ran for 8 straight miles and didn't even run along all the paths. The entire thing is either gravel, dirt, or sand--no pavement! It's definitely an adventure and getting lost in the preserve gives you a break from the surrounding city.

Location: I always start at Claybell Park, which is located at 599 Broadmoor St. Richland, WA 99352. Heading north on Leslie, you take a right (a left if you're coming down south) on Broadmoor St. and keep going until you see the park on your right. There's a newly created road, and if you turn right onto that road, the parking lot is in the back of the park, and that's where the trail starts! You can click on the location at the bottom of this post for a link to Google Maps.

The trail entrance at Claybell Park

Another place you can park is a gravel parking lot off of Leslie Rd., right where it intersects with Rachel Rd. This is what the parking lot looks like:

This parking lot is by the Amon Creek Preserve Kiosk, and there is an entrance about 600 ft south of the parking lot, right at the Richland/Kennewick border.  

This sign marks the Leslie Rd entrance

Pet Friendly?: Yes, but as always, they ask you keep them leashed and kindly clean up after them.

Parking: At Claybell Park, and at a gravel parking lot at the southern end of Leslie Rd. 

Level of Difficulty: Easy-Medium-Hard. You get to pick and choose the paths you walk or run: there are some super steep hills in there, but you can also choose to stay on the flat the whole time. Your call!

Maintenance: Tapteal Greenway and the City of Richland

For more information on this area and on conservation efforts, visit the Tapteal Greenway site. 

It takes so much to keep this area out of the hands of developers and us walkers and runners appreciate all that's being done to keep it the way it is. 

Put on your trainers and explore this amazing wilderness today!