About Us
In early 2003, a group of local residents came together to see if we could preserve our local ridges for their scenic views and as open spaces. We believed something must be done before their beauty was permanently changed by irreversible development. We named ourselves the Friends of Badger Mountain, and when we learned that 574 acres was for sale on the crest and slopes of Badger Mountain, our goal became to acquire this land to be held as open space.
History and More
-- At an elevation of 1543 feet, Badger Mountain is the highest point in the Tri-Cities basin.
-- Badger Mountain Centennial Preserve was created in 2005 from an ambitious grassroots fundraising effort.
-- Badger Mountain Centennial Preserve is a Benton County park, managed in partnership with the Friends of Badger Mountain, a local all volunteer organization, and with assistance from the City of Richland.
-- Badger Mountain Centennial Preserve currently has a little over 8 miles of developed trails.
-- The newest trail, which just opened Tuesday, December 9, undulates along on the south side of Badger for 2-1/2 miles.
-- The trails recorded over 200,000 users in 2013, making the Preserve one of the most visited parks in the Tri-Cities.
-- Badger Mountain features three distinct micro-environments: the parched, sun-drenched south face; the cooler, deep-soiled north face; and the rocky, wind-swept ridgeline.
-- Badger Mountain is an exposed part of the larger, 60-mile long Rattlesnake Ridge feature; which also includes other landmarks such as Red Mountain, Candy Mountain, and Jump-off Joe Butte.
-- Badger Mountain is home to more diverse wildlife than many visitors realize, including mammals such as coyotes and ground squirrels, birds such as quail and hawks, and reptiles such as horned lizards and snakes.
-- Badger Mountain features a variety of native plants, ranging from large sagebrush and rabbitbrush in the deeper soils, to specially adapted grasses in the drier exposed areas, to a dazzling array of wildflowers that can be seen from February until as late as October.
