Badger Mountain - Sagebrush Trail

The Sagebrush Trail was built in the spring of 2010 by the Friends of Badger Mountain with help from WTA. While most of the gravel trail is wide and smooth, there are a few dips and holes to look out for. The Sagebrush Trail starts in the City of Richland’s Trailhead Park. It then passes through some private land and Richland Utilities land and ends in the Badger Mountain Centennial Preserve.

To get to the Sagebrush Trail, follow the Canyon Trail from the Trailhead Park parking lot, past the kiosk and trailhead to the Badger Flats Trail, to the junction with the Sagebrush Trail.

Follow the Sagebrush Trail to the left. After about 0.3 mile, you will reach another junction. This short section of trail was created in 2018 to provide stair-free access to Trailhead Park. To get back on the Canyon Trail, take the short, hiker only trail to the right — officially called the “Sunflower Trail.”

To continue on the Sagebrush Trail, take a left at the junction. Head down some switchbacks, and pass under the power line to the thick sagebrush for which the trail is named. Look out over views of house and the Columbia River in the distance.

The trail ends a little under a mile from the start at the Triple Junction with the Langdon Trail and Skyline Trail. From here, you can head back to the trailhead for a total of about 2 miles of hiking. Another option is to create an approximately 3.1-mile loop using the Skyline Trail to Canyon Trail and back to the trailhead Park parking lot. For an even longer loop, take the Langdon Trail before connecting to the Skyline Trail and Canyon Trail back to the trailhead. This will make a total of about 6.3 miles.

Seasonal Notes: There is no shade on this open terrain trail, so be sure to plan accordingly in the summer. The trail can also get icy winter. The snow can be slow to melt, as the trail faces north and east.