Cover photo courtesy of Holly Weiler
Arguably the most unique wilderness area hike in Washington State, Juniper Dunes Wilderness consists of over 7,000 acres of designated wilderness on Bureau of Land Management property. Adjacent to the wilderness area, BLM additionally manages nearly 4,000 acres of Off Highway Vehicle(OHV)-accessible lands.
This area contains the largest juniper forest in Washington and serves as a refuge for a wide variety of native wildlife. March through early May is also the prime wildflower season in this otherwise arid landscape. The best juniper groves are located in the northeast corner of the wilderness, but don’t miss the large sand dunes in the northwest corner, and zero in on map skills by finding the old wellhead (now dry) in the southern end of the property. There is no surface water within the wilderness, so be sure to pack enough water to last for the duration of your planned visit.
There are two access points for Juniper Dunes Wilderness. Those planning a day hike can start at the north end of the property at Joy Road, where a small trailhead is provided as an easement through adjacent private land. Overnight parking is not permitted at this location. Those who would prefer to backpack this unique landscape should instead access the wilderness via the OHV park off the Pasco-Kahlotus Road. A portion of the access road has been paved, and those with low clearance vehicles should park at the end of the pavement near the OHV trailhead kiosk and make their way to the wilderness area on foot. Those with 4-wheel drive can opt to continue into the heart of the OHV area and drive to the Wilderness Gate, although this is not recommended without proper equipment. (Learn more at wta.org.)
The entire wilderness area is fenced to demark the boundary between the OHV area to the south and west, as well as private lands to the north and east. Once inside the fence, there are no official trails within this shifting landscape of sand dunes and protected habitat. Instead, practice map and compass skills and set off on a cross-country journey to explore this fragment of preserved ecosystem, with the stark contrast of adjacent OHV area and agricultural land visible from the high points along the way.
Getting there: Take I-90 west then Highway 395 south toward Pasco. Exit 395 via US-12E, then bear northeast on Kahlotus-Pasco Road. Turn left on Peterson Road, which turns into Juniper Road and ends at the ORV park.
Holly Weiler is the Eastern Washington Region Senior Coordinator for Washington Trails Association and loves wandering through the shrub steppe in the springtime.
