Keene Road Trail

The Badger Mountain Centennial Preserve Loop via Keene Road Trail offers a truly rewarding touring cycling experience, blending paved sections with the crushed rock paths of the preserve. You'll navigate significant climbs through a landscape of native dryland grasses and sagebrush, all while enjoying panoramic views of the Tri-Cities, Yakima River Valley, and Columbia River. On clear days, you might even spot distant peaks like Mount Hood and Mount Rainier, making the effort well worth it.

This difficult 21.0-mile (33.8 km) route, with its 1547 feet (471 metres) of elevation gain, typically takes around 2 hours and 32 minutes to complete. The trails are open year-round, but if you're cycling in summer, be sure to bring plenty of water and sunscreen due to full sun exposure. Remember to be courteous to other trail users, as some sections are multi-use.

This preserve is a testament to community efforts to preserve over 2,500 acres of open space, showcasing unique geology from the Ice Age Floods, including granite boulders. It's also a great spot to observe local wildlife like desert bighorn sheep and mule deer. The varied terrain and challenging climbs make this a standout option for experienced touring cyclists in the Richland WA area.