The Beezley Hills Preserve is an area of 4788 acres north of Quincy that is protected by The Nature Conservancy, which started buying up the land in 1998. From this high vantage point, hikers can peer out at the expanse of eastern Washington.

The views to the south sweep in the broad lands of the middle Columbia Basin and the greater Quincy area, while to the east you can see all the way to Moses Lake on clear days. The preserve protects a diversity of wildlife and a huge array of wild plants. Indeed, this area is home to one of the largest populations of hedgehog cactus we've ever seen--thousands of the squat little spiny plants are tucked into the sandy loam of the preserve. Watch your step, and keep the kids close at hand if you don't want to be picking spines out of ankles.

Beezley Hills hosts an amazing flower display each spring, and the plethora of hedgehog cactus all seem to come in bloom at the same time--usually late April or early May. The spiny ground-hugging cactus sport bright, fluorescent-pink flowers that add a tropical feel to the desert.

Passing through the gate near the road at the top of the ridge leads you down an old jeep track. You can follow this two-track trail or head east to create a loop hike. Walk east along the first ridge spine you encounter to enter a wild garden filled with phlox, Hooker's balsamroot, daggerpod, and several examples of the very uncommon sulphur lupine--one of the only white lupine species in Washington State.

Once you leave the ridge-top area, the soils become more fertile and full, and as a result the flora changes. Look for arrowleaf balsamroot, death camas, lupine, fern-leaf desert parsley, squaw current, bearded owl-clover, larkspur, prairie star flower, long-flowered bluebells, thyme desert buckwheat, and more.

Continue east down one long deep draw and up to another highpoint ridge. Turning southward, drop into a deep draw filled with towering sage "trees"--this sagebrush is at times 8 feet tall! As you climb out of this draw, turn to the west and hike up to the original ridge to catch the jeep track.

The route provides a nice 3-mile loop, and the abundance of flowers and views means you can enjoy 3 or more hours of walking, moving slowly over that distance to savor the natural richness of the area. Hikers can roam at will within the fenced property, but no one should cross the fences--the adjacent landowners value their private property rights and visitors aren't welcome there.