The Hanford Reach
One of the great protected landscapes of Washington State
Here elk, coyote and eagles flourish. White pelicans and avocets too. All told there are 43 species of fish, 42 species of mammals, 258 bird species, 4 amphibian species, 11 reptile species and over 1,500 invertebrate species including many found nowhere else in the world. And the reach contains scores of flowering plants, too. Quite remarkable when you consider that the Hanford Reach consists of some of the driest and hottest landscapes in the Columbia Basin. And it is some of the finest shrub-steppe habitat remaining in Washington state.
I finally had the opportunity to hike there. The place is stunning. I will be back--the place is large with over 57,000 acres open to the public. Information on hiking in the area is scarce. But, no worries as the Hanford Reach will be included in my upcoming Day Hiking Eastern Washington book. In the meanwhile, try not to wait for the book to start exploring there!
1 comment:
One of the nice thing about the dry side of the state is that the views are so open you can easily explore without a trail, but 57,000 acres is a pretty large area to ramble around, so I look forward to your book to point me to some of the more interesting features.
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