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The Rattlesnake Slope Unit of the Sunnyside Wildlife Area is 3,661 acres in size, only part of which is open to unrestricted public access. Benton County Parks and Recreation and the Tri Cities Shooting Association operate a highly regulated public shooting range on the east side of the property.
A parking area, along Highway 225 is the only point of public access to the property. The Arid Lands Ecology Reserve (ALE), managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, lies to the north and is closed to entry by the public. Private lands to the west and south may be accessible but by permission only.
The habitat on this site consists of native bunchgrass with very little shrub cover. A series of deep draws begin near the center of the property and empty into the Yakima River valley to the east. The area holds a small population of both deer and elk but lack of water and cover limits hunting opportunity.
See also: Notice
regarding access to the Thorton Unit
