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Getting away closer than you'd imagine Sometimes you just have to get away. For some, this means booking a flight to a remote destination or driving hours to find tranquility. But nestled away along the Columbia and Yakima rivers - like desert oases - are several serene and strikingly remote getaways. And, as the Tri-Cities continues to expand, it's comforting to know that parcels of mostly undisturbed land still exist. Over the years, these preserved areas have offered hikers, bikers, birdwatchers, horseback riders and others an outdoor escape literally in their own back yard. What follows is by no means a complete list of all Tri-City wild lands. It's more an accounting of some of my favorite 'wild and scenic' escapes. Perhaps they will become some of yours. Because I hunt, I'm drawn to areas where wildlife such as deer and waterfowl can be observed. And for that reason, Chamna Natural Preserve in Richland ranks high on my list. For those not familiar with Chamna, the 276-acre preserve lies along the Yakima River and about one-third of the area is on the National Register of Wetlands, said Dave Bryant, Richland Parks and Recreation planner. Up until about three years ago, the area was open to vehicles. Since then - with help from concerned citizens - Chamna is slowly returning to the way nature intended. Although many of the trails have been covered with wood chips to keep down the dust, the preserve retains a wild feel, especially if you hike or bike to some of the more remote sections along the Yakima River. Besides squirrels and the occasional rattlesnake, Chamna is home to at least one osprey family. Two nesting platforms have been erected on the top of telephone poles for the birds to use. However, the only one I've seen the birds using is at the east end of the preserve. Watching these majestic hunters sailing and screeching through crystalline skies is alone worth the hike. Chamna can be tricky to find for first-timers, but the new west parking lot is visible to anyone crossing the Yakima River on Interstate 182. To reach Chamna, follow Aaron Drive east of the Richland Fred Meyer. Head south on Jadwin Street and right past Acme Materials/Inland Asphalt. A new paved road and sign marks the entrance to Chamna. The area is open to hikers, mountain bikers and horseback riders. Not far from Chamna is the undeveloped W.E. Johnson Equestrian and Nature Park. Access to the park is on Hall Road, off Van Giesen Street. Many know the area because of its long association with Colyak Bow Hunters club archery range. However, once you venture down the gravel road and wander off on one of the many paths, you almost forget that the bypass highway - ferrying thousands daily to Hanford - is just a half-mile away. Golden leaves cling tenaciously to a towering cottonwood at the Army Corps of Engineers' Yakima Delta Habitat Management Unit west of Leslie Road off Columbia Park Trail. For many, it might be hard to believe such a serene and stately natural area exists so close to a vast urban development. Perhaps even more amazing is that salmon still fight their way up tiny Amon Creek that cuts through the east end of the HMU, the last leg of this Yakima River tributary that has its start south of Meadow Springs Golf Course. For those willing to bike or ride about a half-mile east from the gravel parking lot, you'll find the creek passing under an old wooden bridge where maybe you might glimpse a spawning salmon. My Labrador retriever, Coal, however, finds the cool, clear spring-fed waterway just another place to swim as we pedal our way through the grassy trails, Russian olive copses and some of the largest - and presumably oldest - cottonwoods I've seen in the Tri-Cities. Many of these tracks eventually lead to the Yakima River where you're likely to encounter a great blue heron, one of nature's finest anglers, stalking an evening meal. Although the nature area is hemmed in by Highway 240 to the north and sprawling Meadow Springs to the south, this is truly 268 acres worth exploring. Kennewick's Zintel Canyon Greenway has seen quite a few changes in the past 20 years, going from rundown, overgrown eyesore to a first-rate nature area. Today the 68-acre, 2-mile long greenway is a pleasant diversion for hikers and bikers. Open for daylight to sunset, the main access point to Zintel is at 7th Ave., and South Vancouver Street, with some access at various other spots bordering the canyon which passes under the 10th Street overpass. Much of the trail traversing the area is covered with wood chips or gravel, and at various times of the year, irrigation runoff and seepage creates a meandering waterway that attracts waterfowl and upland birds. With the fall migration under way, I would be remiss not to mention two other scenic spots popular with birdwatchers and nature lovers. While most know Two Rivers Park in Finley for its lush green park and access to the Columbia for a summer swim, east of the old boat ramp and lagoon is a short nature trail along the Columbia River. For years, I've used the Two Rivers boat launch to hunt ducks on the Columbia, but I never fail to see a least a few rooster pheasants skulking through the tall grass. There's even a small blind set up on one of the sloughs where you can get - so to speak - a birds-eye view of feeding waterfowl. The McNary National Wildlife Refuge in Burbank holds a special fondness for me as it was the place I learned to call wild ducks over 20 years ago. Around sunset, I would park my pickup along North Lake Road and sit there and listen to thousands of ducks sitting on the refuge or taking flight. I'd pull out my brand new Duck Commander and begin a calamitous cacophony of calling that would have been ruled cruel and unusual punishment to anyone within earshot. As it was, only my dog was subjected to my caterwauling. Not far that spot today is the McNary Refuge Interpretive Trail. The 1.9-mile trail starts at the McNary Environmental Education Center, which is used by many Tri-City teachers as an outdoor classroom. The center is east of Highway 12 on Maple Street at the refuge office headquarters. The trail winds through the Burbank Slough and interpretative signs, a photo/birdwatching blind and a rest shelter are located along the trail. For more information, call 543-8322. A crisp autumn sunset at McNary Refuge - with the whistling wings and calls of wildfowl filling the skies - is about the best prescription for relieving stress I've come across.
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