Best Bike Path along the Columbia River in Tri-Cities, Washington

I'll begin by saying that I'm not a hardcore bicyclist, I own a nice leisure bicycle made by Specialized. It's perfect for riding on paved paths and light off-road trails. It's made for trips to the store or a day trip along the riverbank of the mighty Columbia River.

My pick for the best leisure bike ride in the Tri-Cities starts at Wade Park (Road 39 entrance) in Pasco and ends at Howard Amon Park in Richland - 8.25 miles one way, 16.5 miles roundtrip. There's plenty of parking at the Road 39 Wade Park entrance, so if you don't want to ride your bike to the park you can haul your bike to the parking area and start from there.

Wade Park is typically busy with walkers, dogs, and bikers. It has three lanes, a two-way bike lane, and a lane dedicated to walking. Beware, a lot of people tend to ignore the lane rules - a serious biker's pet peeve. The path turns into a two-lane path at Road 54 and continues west on top of the dike until you reach Chiawana Park.

After Chiawana Park, turn left on Court Street and follow the bike lane (right side) through the neighborhood after Road 100 to the I-182 Bridge. When you reach the bridge, you'll have two options to cross - from the east or west side - they both have tremendous views and a steady uphill climb.

Once you come off the bridge follow the path into Columbia Point Marina Park, past Anthony's restaurant, and continue along the river to Howard Amon Park. From there you can keep going west to Leslie Groves Park or explore the shops in Richland.

If you keep a slow but steady pace, plan on about 2.5 - 3 hours roundtrip or better yet, have lunch or get something cold to drink at the Parkway in Richland before making the trip back. We stopped at Roasters on George Washington Way.

I would rate this ride as fairly easy. The only strenuous part is climbing the incline to go over the I-182 Bridge.