page_title: Kennewick, Washington
section_title: Parks and recreation
hierarchical_section_title: Kennewick, Washington / Parks and recreation
caption_attribution_description: Inspiration Park, 2010 Kennewick Washington
context_page_description: Kennewick is a city in Benton County in the U.S. state of Washington. It is located along the southwest bank of the Columbia River, just southeast of the confluence of the Columbia and Yakima rivers and across from the confluence of the Columbia and Snake rivers. It is the most populous of the three cities collectively referred to as the Tri-Cities. The population was 73,917 at the 2010 census. The Census Bureau estimates the city's population at 84,347 as of July 1, 2019.
  The discovery of Kennewick Man along the banks of the Columbia River provides evidence of Native Americans' settlement of the area for at least 9,000 years. American settlers began moving into the region in the late 19th century as transportation infrastructure was built to connect Kennewick to other settlements along the Columbia River. The construction of the Hanford Site at Richland accelerated the city's growth in the 1940s as workers from around the country came to participate in the Manhattan Project. While Hanford and Pacific Northwest National Laboratory continue to be major sources of employment, the city's economy has diversified over time and now hosts offices for Amazon and Lamb Weston.
context_section_description: Kennewick's low precipitation values and mild-to-warm weather provide opportunities for outdoor recreation throughout much of the year. The city's Parks and Recreation Department operates 27 parks plus other facilities for the public to use. Many parks have shelters that can be reserved for events, with most of them offering playgrounds. There are three athletic complexes throughout the city as well. The Parks and Recreation Department also maintains several hiking and bike trails in the city, including the portion of the Sacagawea Heritage Trail that passes through Kennewick.
  The largest park in the city's system is Columbia Park, which is a riverfront area to the north of SR 240 from the Richland/Kennewick city line in the west to the Blue Bridge in the east. There are several boat launches here offering access to the Columbia River. Kayaking and canoeing is another popular water activity. The Sacagawea Heritage Trail, a bike path connecting all three of the Tri-Cities, passes through the entire length of the park. The most developed portion of the park is the east end, which has a veterans memorial, golf course, fishing pond, and a large playground. Columbia Park hosts the HAPO Gold Cup, an annual hydroplane race. The part of Richland adjacent to the park is Columbia Park West. Combined, the two form 450 acres (180 ha) of contiguous public recreation land along the river.
  In the early 2010s, the city built the 52 acres (21 ha) Southridge Sports and Events Complex in the quickly growing south end of town along US 395. This property is primarily used for scheduled sporting events, such as baseball, basketball, and volleyball. That said, it also has recreational facilities that don't need to be reserved, such as a playground and open fields. Kennewick was able to secure a piece of the World Trade Center from the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which is located in the southeast corner of the complex as a memorial to the victims of the September 11 attacks in 2001. The complex was considered complete when the historic carousel that the city restored was opened on the site.
caption: A playground in Kennewick's Inspiration Park.
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