Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Scenic Drives
Driving on I-82 between Ellensburg and Yakima, you'll realize that Central Washington isn't the flat, boring terrain you might have heard about.
As the road snakes up treeless ridges over 2,000 feet high, the far-off brown hills look as if they're covered with soft velvet; up close, it resolves
into sagebrush, scrub, and grass. Pull into the rest stop at the south end of the Fred Rodmon Memorial bridge for a stunner of a view of the icy
summits of Mount Adams and Mount Rainier in the distance.
The
Jacob Durr Wagon Road
(aka Wenas Road) is not recommended for vehicles without four-wheel drive. It was once the only route linking
Yakima and Ellensburg; today, it's surely the most scenic, climbing over Umtanum Ridge for a 360-degree view of the Cascades and Yakima
Valley. Drive north from Selah on N. Wenas Avenue, which becomes Wenas Road, the old Durr Wagon Road. The more standard route northward
(I-90) also offers excellent vistas from the
Manatash Ridge Viewpoint
into the lush Kittitas Valley, with the Wenatchee Mountains rising behind
the town of Ellensburg.
Water Sports
Yakima's
Franklin Park
(21st Avenue and Tieton Drive), has a big pool with a slippery spiral water slide. The grassy hills at this park are also a
local hot spot for sledding in the winter.
At
Eschbach Park
(4811 South Naches Rd., 509/574-2435,
www.co.yakimacounty.us
)
, five miles past the fish hatchery on the Old Naches
Highway, rent a tube or kayak and take a lazy float down the Naches River. The day-use, 168-acre county park offers boating, swimming, pic-
nicking, and play areas.
Many locals also float, water ski, or fish (trophy-sized rainbows for catch-and-release fishing only) in the beautiful 27-mile
Yakima River
Canyon
(509/665-2100) between Ellensburg and Yakima owned by the private Nature Conservancy. The river is paralleled by State Highway
821, with several boat ramps and picnic sites along the route and is home to the greatest concentration of nesting raptors in the state.
Before you head out to swish your rod around, pick up a few flies and nymphs from
Fairbanks Out Centers
(423 West Yakima Ave., Yakima,
509/457-3474), whose helpful staff can point you in the right direction if you know what you're doing or sign you up for one of their guided
excursions if you don't.
Cycling
The Yakima Valley farming country makes for great back-roads cycling, with a multitude of possible loop trips. Get a map of local cycling routes
from the visitors center. Unfortunately, there are absolutely no bicycle rental shops in the Yakima Valley, Tri-Cities, or Walla Walla Valley areas.
Pick up a rental on the way. If you are headed over via I-90, stop off at
Cle Elum Bike and Board
(316 W. 1st St., 509/674-4567). Or try one of
the numerous rental shops in the Gorge if you are coming in from parts south.
If you need some supplies or want to buy a new ride in Yakima,
Jake's Bike Shop
(507 W. Nob Hill Blvd., 509/469-9602) is a friendly local
bike store that does right by its customers.
Golf
Yakima has quite a few public courses. The
Apple Tree Resort
(8804 Occidental, 509/966-5877,
www.appletreeresort.com
, $50 nonresidents)
features a signature par 3 17th hole—a tricky forced carry on to an apple-shaped island.
Suntides
(231 Pence Rd., 509/966-9065, $25) offers a
par-70 course. The city-owned, executive-length
Fisher Park Golf Course
(823 S. 40th Ave., 509/575-6075) can be a nice, quick indulgence
at $9.25 for nine holes. You can even rent clubs here. The
Westwood West Golf Course
(6408 Tieton Dr., 509/966-0890) is another executive
course with a driving range. Nine holes will run you $28.
Hiking
The
Yakima River Greenway
encompasses 3,600 acres east of the city, connecting Selah, Yakima, and Union Gap along a 10-mile paved biking
and walking path.
Cowiche Canyon
is a scenic and remote rocky canyon just a few minutes west of Naches. The abandoned railroad line ribbons along and across
Cowiche Creek, passing distinctive rock formations, with some that resemble the Easter Island faces. The canyon is managed by Cowiche Canyon
Conservancy (509/966-8608,
www.cowichecanyon.org
), which produces a brochure on the three-mile trail. To continue your journey, follow the
out-and-back Uplands Trail spur off of the main trail. You can follow that about 1.5 miles to a shady grove of birch trees before returning.
Most of Yakima's in-town motels can be found along the Highway 97 corridor through town (1st Street).
