Skip shopping and football. Ideas for getting outside on Black Friday

There can be more to Black Friday than shopping and watching football.

You could take a hike, visit a state park for free or catch a “holiday special” — one of the large trout stocked by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife for day-after-Thanksgiving fishing.

Early forecasts for the day are promising. The Mid-Columbia should get a break from rainy and cloudy weather that day, with an unseasonably warm high for the Tri-Cities of about 55 degrees, according to the National Weather Service.

▪ The Tapteal Greenway organization and REI are providing support for a 2.9- or 5.5-mile hike starting at 10 a.m. at W.E. Johnson Park in Richland.

Hikers will pass through forested areas, shrub steppe habitat and along the Yakima River on a fairly flat trail.

The shorter hike goes to Chamna Natural Preserve and the longer hike ends at Columbia Point Park.

Shuttle service will be available at both points back to W.E. Johnson Park, courtesy of REI, which will be closed on Friday as part of its #OptOutside initiative for Black Friday.

The W.E. Johnson Park parking is at the end of Hall Road, off Van Giesen Street by Woods Nursery.

There is no cost. Register and find more information at bit.ly/BlackFriHike.

▪ Friday will be the last day in 2017 to visit a Washington state park for free.

No Discover Pass will be needed for day use.

Discover Passes cost $30 for a year or $10 a day, plus transaction charges.

State parks in the Mid-Columbia include Sacajawea Historical State Park near the mouth of the Snake River, Ginkgo Petrified Forest south of George and Palouse Falls State Park near Starbuck.

▪ The Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife is offering anglers opportunities for tight lines rather than long lines, it says.

Selected lakes have been stocked with trout averaging 15 to 16 inches long and up to three pounds in weight.

The closest lake to the Tri-Cities that will be stocked before Black Friday is Elton Pond North in Yakima County.

Other eastside lakes have been stocked with fry in recent years, which could mean hefty fish in Fourth of July Lake in Lincoln and Adams counties, Hatch Lake in Stevens County and Lake Roosevelt in Lincoln, Stevens and Ferry counties.

▪ If you have not checked out the new trail on Candy Mountain, Friday could be a good day to explore.

The trail climbs 560 feet over 1.6 miles to a 1,385-foot summit with sweeping views.

Parking is off Dallas Road near West Richland. More information is posted at friendsofbadger.org.

This story was originally published November 22, 2017 at 10:14 AM with the headline "Skip shopping and football. Ideas for getting outside on Black Friday."