State Parks and National Parks

The 5,700-acre Yakima River Canyon is home to massive basalt cliffs and rolling desert hills that rise above the 24 miles of the Yakima River between Yakima and Ellensburg.

The canyon is also home to many species of raptors and herds of bighorn sheep and also offers several campsites.

The Yakima River is popular for easy rafting, kayaking, canoeing and as a blue ribbon catch-and-release trout stream.

There are hiking trails and fishing sites along the west bank of the river.

The canyon has three developed recreation sites: Roza, Lmuma Creek and Umtanum. These sites are used each year by thousands of visitors for camping, picnicking, boating, rafting, fishing, hunting, bird watching, wildflower viewing and general sightseeing.

The Roza site includes four vault toilets, eight beach picnic sites, five campsites, a concrete boat launch and a rafters' take-out beach area. The parking area is paved. During summer weekends, a law enforcement ranger is on duty.

Lmuma Creek has seven campsites, two toilets, a graded parking area, paved access road and traffic and parking signs.

Popular uses of the Umtanum Recreation Site include hiking, hunting and fishing. This site has a suspension footbridge, which provides the only access to public lands across the river, vault toilets and six camp and picnic areas.

Ringer Road is a nature area at the north end of the Yakima Canyon. There are two wildlife-viewing benches and two miles of foot trails.

Future plans include building a bridge across Spring Creek and extending the trail system to make additional areas accessible to the public.

Cowiche Canyon covers the uplands and lowlands area surrounding Cowiche Creek. The Cowiche Canyon Conservancy manages the lowlands along the creek where an old railway has been converted into a hiking, horseback riding and biking trail, complete with 10 bridges crossing the creek. Trails also connect this lower trail system with primitive trails in the uplands of Cowiche Canyon.

From May 15 to Sept. 15, a vehicle fee is charged at the Roza and Lmuma Creek recreation sites. The fee covers all camping, parking, boat launch and picnicking at the site.

The Nature Conservancy of Washington began a long-range protection program for the canyon with the acquisition of a 391-acre parcel of grassland and cliff habitat in 1992. The program ensures the protection of plant and animal life, as well as scenic and recreational resources which significantly benefit the region's residents and economy. The Conservancy transferred a portion of the parcel to the Bureau of Land Management in 1992 for management under the agency's Yakima River Canyon Management Plan. The Nature Conservancy of Washington still retains 105 acres.

Photo credits in order: Courtesy of Bureau of Land Management. Courtesy of Bureau of Land Management, Washington State Office.