Whether you’re an experienced hiker or looking for some easy beginner trails to get you started, here are four Yakima hikes to take before 2022. This cohesive combination of general Yakima hikes ranges in difficulty, but all can be modified to fit your desire, physical ability, and time available.
Umtanum Creek Falls
This biology-fueled hike is the ideal day trip for you and your family. Just under two miles roundtrip, the Umtanum Creek Falls trail will show you region-specific plant life, a unique and diverse bird selection, and bighorn sheep seen traversing the steep canyon terrain walls.
The best way to find this trail is to travel out to N Wenas Road, a couple of roads off Highway 12, and proceed in the direction the posted recreation signs lead you.
If you’re looking for a simpler hike, whether for your or your family’s sake, this hike could end satisfyingly at the lookout point over the falls that spill out over the rocks and into a shimmering pool of refreshing water. This small pocket of water is enclosed mainly by sheer cliffs that lure your eye down into its intoxicating center. To up the calorie burn, take a trip down to the fall shore decorated with sand and unique shrubbery. This path, however, is notably more challenging as the elevation declines a good 400 feet in a short distance. Wear your hiking boots and the socks with the best grip, and you’ll be fine.
Tieton Nature Trail
As of right now, the Tieton Nature Trail is closed due to the dreadful Schneider Springs fire. Reopening times depend solely on the containment process of these fires. Luckily, summertime won’t be the only time you can get full enjoyment out of this Yakima hike. Enjoy this trail in the spring for beautiful blooming flowers along the path or a fun casual ski in the winter. The evolution of warm colors evident in this trail makes the fall just as much of an ideal time, if not more than the summer, to partake on this path.
This course splits into several potential trails you could take. No matter which one you decide on, you’ll be witness to a plethora of different natural patterns like meadows, oak and ponderosa forests, and fluid hill-scapes. You’ll also find that this hike could potentially be the longest on this list, stretching upwards of nine miles depending on your official starting point. The terrain is not particularly difficult to undergo, just lengthy.
Cowiche Canyon Wine Trail
Among the most notable on this list, the Cowiche Canyon Wine Trail is popular among Yakima residents. In my research, all the avid hikers I spoke with frequented this hike many times throughout the years. I was warned by one, however, that there is little to no shade on this hike, and if you insist on taking it in the summer or late spring, I recommend that you bring plenty of water, take a rest before the elevation, and wear a hat to protect your scalp and neck.
At about three and a half miles, this trail has breathtaking scenery of nearby vineyards and valleys. The primarily level ground makes up this hike until the last half mile of the course. This piece of your journey is relatively steep but well worth it. The views throughout the trek are breathtaking, but the ones you’ll see after the climb showcase the most intricate and dense parts of the valley and canyon.
Yakima Skyline Trail
The Yakima Skyline Trail hike is located just off of Buffalo Road in Selah. Traversing this hike will expose you to various plant life and an immaculate view of the Yakima Canyon. Depending on how long and difficult you want your hike to be, the trail punctuates firstly at an aptly placed hitching post two miles out that peers down at the valley. The trail continues for a more moderately skilled hiker, turning a two-mile hike into a six. Further still is the summit aspect of this hike that takes you higher up and deeper up the hills. The terrain is a bit rougher here, and you’ll be working for an extra two miles, mostly uphill, to see this part of the hike, but it will be worth it.
No matter which hikes you want to take, make sure you’re packing safe with the ten essentials. All these hikes are suitable for beginners, families, and dogs with a bit of modification. For more information on these hikes and many others, download AllTrails on your phone for coordinates and length times. Get the most out of the fading summertime with a healthy and eventful weekend in the Yakima Valley’s most popular trails.
