7 Miles, 1918 feet elevation gain, 904 ft. High Point (top of bluffs), 298 ft. Low Point (river)
Saturday shaped up to be a beautiful day! It was warm, sunny and clear! Fortunately, my son, Justin agreed to go along with me for a hike on the Hanford Reach National Monument and the White Bluffs area along the Columbia River.
Click here for directions to this hike, maps and more details.
I took a moment to tell Justin about the old Hanford High School shell visible across the river as one of the old towns across the river that were evacuated in the 1940’s to make way for the Hanford Nuclear Reservation. Then, we took the advice of one hiker and headed off the paved road on a trail to the right about a hundred yards past the wooden power lines (a familiar landmark for fishermen). We headed up the hill and, right away, started seeing some of the desert wildflowers I was hoping for.
Can You Help Identify This Flower?
Justin Heading Up the Trail
Hairy Seed Fleabane (Erigeron poliospermus)
As we headed up the first bluff, I almost call this a false bluff because you think you’re getting to the top but once you crest that first bluff, you see a valley between you and the top! The valley is rounded and beautiful.
Valley Between the "False Bluff" summit and the real Bluff Summit
Columbia Milk Vetch (Astragalus succumbens)
Hikers We Saw as we were Climbing the Bluffs. Note the 4 "Cocooned" Nuclear Reactors in the Background on the Hanford Site
As we ascended the bluffs, we noticed a group of about 7 hikers on the trail below. A beautiful day for a hike. This is not a very busy area so seeing other hikers in this area is somewhat rare. The view from the bluffs shows several artifacts from the cold-war era of Hanford nuclear production. Very noticeable are the gray buildings dotting the landscape. These are “cocooned” nuclear reactors, sealed in concrete for long-term storage. You can visit the official Hanford website for more info.
Colorful Phlox
We continued seeing various wildflowers and Justin spotted a chunk of granite. I’m not sure but I think this rock is not indigenous and may be a remnant of the great Lake Missoula floods which created this beautiful Channeled Scabland area. Chunks of granite were carried here on great ice flows as the main rock we see here is basalt and this hike, particularly is thick with sedimentary formations.
Chunk of Granite
We made our way to the top of the bluffs on a steep trail that gave us a good workout.
Almost to the Top
The view from the top is beautiful with the winding Columbia River sprawling out before us. We followed the trail that winds along the rim of the bluff top for a few miles to the north parking area.
Beautiful View with the Columbia River and Rattlesnake Mountain in the Background
Carey's Balsamroot
We took the road back down then ventured off cross-country to the monument along the river.
Sedimentary Formations along the Bluffs
Hanford Reach National Monument Landmark Formation
We hiked along the crest of the monument area and took a few pictures.
Landmark Rock Formation of the Hanford Reach National Monument
Me and Justin with Landmark in Background
We hiked down the hill to the river and stuck our feet in the water to cool off and get refreshed. Then, we headed back along the river to the truck. We didn’t take quite enough water so make sure you’re well supplied if you take this route on a warm day! We didn’t see any snakes but we were on the lookout. They will probably start showing up as the warm weather continues so be careful and watch your step!
Lupine