Yakima: Things to do

Outdoors in the Valley

With four seasons of sunny skies and starry nights, Yakima residents make the most of the outdoors.

The valley lies in a rain shadow created by the Cascade Mountains, resulting in just 8 inches of precipitation each year, about half of which is measured from snowfall which averages 20 to 25 inches annually.

Right in the city of Yakima, Cowiche Canyon’s 14 miles of trails on 1,800 pristine acres through stunning canyon landscapes draw outdoor enthusiasts year-round for hiking, snowshoeing, cross-country skiing and the best mountain biking in central Washington.

Thrill seekers head to the Tieton River for nonstop whitewater action on the fastest-moving, fastest-dropping river in Washington during the annual September Flip-Flop when water released from Rimrock Lake to serve irrigation needs in the Yakima Valley rushes down through the Tieton River and into the Naches river, creating one of the state’s best whitewater runs for kayakers and rafters, with class III to IV rapids.

The 66 trails throughout the William O. Douglas Wilderness are only the beginning. Thanks to grant funding, the William O. Douglas Trail, a 75-mile recreational corridor linking Yakima to Mount Rainier National Park will soon be completed. Celebrating places treasured by Douglas, Supreme Court Justice, the trails final pathway will run adjacent to the historic Yakima Valley Electric Railway Line.

It’s far more than the 109 fishing lakes dotting Yakima County that make this an angler’s paradise. Winding waterways that stretch from the dense forest slopes of the East Cascades through rugged hillsides promise the lure of Coho salmon, steelhead, brown, rainbow and cutthroat trout and whitefish. Designated as the state’s only “blue ribbon” trout stream, the Yakima River delivers more than 65 miles of some or the state’s best fly fishing and unbeatable scenery.

Travel just 30 minutes from Yakima to reach two of the state’s most stunning scenic byways—White Pass and Chinook Pass.

Nordic and Alpine skiers and snowboarders head to White Pass Ski Area for the 1,500-foot vertical drop and more than 350 inches of annual snowfall. With more than 30 downhill trails, a terrain park and an 18-kilometer network of marked, groomed trails for cross-country skiing, White Pass serves hard-core, beginners and families.

Climbers travel from throughout the region to challenge themselves in the Tieton River Canyon—one of the state’s best rock climbing destinations. Most of the nearly 400 routes are near vertical to vertical, with some overhanging climbing.

More than 30 city and community parks in the city of Yakima and neighboring communities offer play spaces for kids and grownups, whether skateboarding, tennis, basketball, soccer or baseball is the activity of choice.

Volunteers at the Yakima Area Arboretum create a living museum of plants and trees, both exotic and those native to Central Washington’s semiarid climate, caring for more than 2,000 specimens on 46 acres of land  adjoining the Yakima River’s riparian habitat.

The Yakima Greenway stretches from Selah Gap to Union Gap and west along the Naches river, providing more than ten miles of paved pathways connecting parks, river access landings, nature trails, fishing lakes and protected natural areas.

The Yakima River Canyon’s dramatic basalt cliffs shelter the densest concentration of nesting hawks, eagles and falcons in Washington State. Nearby wilderness areas host Rocky Mountain elk, bighorn sheep, deer, small mammals, birds of prey, songbirds, blue herons, osprey, wood ducks, grouse, reptiles and amphibians. Each winter, two feeding stations in the Naches area take visitors up close for spectacular viewing of elk and bighorn sheep interacting in their natural habitat.

Nearby Mount Rainier National Park creates a spectacular backdrop for the Yakima Valley. With an elevation of 13,211 feet, its 26 major glaciers make it the most glaciated peak in the lower 48. Ginkgo Petrified Forest State Park houses a collection of rare Native American petroglyphs.