Chandler Butte and McBee Hill perch over Benton City near Rattlesnake Hills. Both high points are part of the Horse Heaven Hills AVA. Meanwhile, the Yakima River, originating from Keechelus Lake, flows below the north.
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Chandler Butte and McBee Hill at a Glance
Access: McBee Trailhead
Round Trip: 9.3 miles
Elevation Range: 780′-2046′
Gear: none
GPS Track: available
Dog-Friendly: yes
Hiking in Tri-Cities by Yakima River
It was day three of our Thanksgiving week hikes. We forewent plan A near Yakima due to trail restrictions before driving farther east in the desert. Soon, we scratched plan B by Rattlesnake Hills and continued to Chandler Butte and McBee Hill.
Despite all the driving around seeking new places, it was great to dodge the rain. Despite the trailhead being inside the city, I only found two dozen online reports. But with glowing reviews, I anticipated seeing more people here.
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Taking Northeast Ridge to McBee Hill
We started late from the nearly packed lot by the McBee Grade. Immediately, I noticed the much steeper trail on the right side of the entrance. So, we went that way instead as I saw many people coming down the main path.
It was much cooler in the shade but not as windy as the forecast. Behind us, the city views improved as we rose through the steep slope. But for now, I decided to skip the high point and return after visiting Chandler Butte with fewer people.
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Walking the Jeep Road to the West
Soon, we continued west to get more exercise on Chandler Butte. Otherwise, the 1.6-mile roundtrip alone on McBee Hill wouldn’t’ve been worth the long drive. It was also possible to come up from McBee Road to the ridgetop and cut the distance in half.
After a while, at the halfway mark, we saw groups of target shooters. With few stops over four miles, we soon reached the gate below the radio towers. I opened the gate to let the jeep from the other side continue before we went to the top.
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Viewing Yakima River from Chandler Butte
The best part of the trip was seeing the winding Yakima River from here. I unexpectedly saw hazy Mount Adams and Mount Rainier in the distance. Meanwhile, I enviously wondered if people living on the nearby hills had the same view. I bet they did!
To the west, the annoying target-shooting noise persisted during our visit. I couldn’t tell where it was coming from since it was echoey. The wind picked up soon after we settled in, but today’s mid-50s weather had kept us from the cold.
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Return to McBee Hill at Sunset
More target shooters had arrived when we reached back at the midpoint. It was nerve-racking walking past them because they decided to shoot right next to the road. I don’t know how they could tolerate the loud noise without earmuffs.
We stopped on McBee Hill at sunset when everyone had left. Since it was getting dark, we only spent a few quiet moments enjoying the last light. The evening colors were incredibly vibrant tonight, and the moonrise was the icing on the cake.
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Lovely!