Yakima: Nature Trails, Museums and History

Get to know Yakima from different angles: green spaces and trails, collections on the history of the Yakima Valley, and historic buildings. To plan your trip, you can first consider whether you want to focus on nature watching and outdoor routes or on museums and history.

Scenery, Trails and Nature Watching

The Yakima Area Arboretum is a 46-acre urban green space and retreat with display gardens, tree collections and natural areas. It offers good opportunities to observe birds and wildlife. The grounds are open seven days a week from sunrise to sunset; check visitor information before you arrive.

The Cowiche Canyon Trail offers a specific route: it is 2.9 miles long and crosses the creek nine times. The Yakima Greenway is on a different scale. Its 20-mile trail is for bicycles and pedestrians and connects Union Gap, Yakima, Selah and Naches. The Greenway also provides access to river landings and connects visitors with protected natural areas.

Yakima Sportsman State Park is a 266-acre camping park. The Juan A. Alvarez Living Classroom is located within the park. It has a short, paved, ADA-accessible trail and a boardwalk leading into a wetland.

Museums and Historic Sites

The Yakima Valley Museum preserves more than 48,000 artifacts about the history of the diverse people who have lived in the Yakima Valley. Its historical exhibits cover the natural history of the Valley, cultural objects from the Plateau region, pioneer life, early urban history, and the origins and development of the fruit industry. The Sundquist Research Library and Archives at the museum is the leading regional archive for local history. The Central Washington Agricultural Museum is the largest museum of its kind in the Pacific Northwest.

The Capitol Theatre also brings together architectural history and the performing arts: it opened in 1920. After a fire in 1975, it reopened three years later as a performing arts center. Fort Simcoe Historical State Park is one of the few surviving pre-Civil War forts in the West. Visitors can tour five of the original buildings, the tribal jail and restored barracks. You can book tours of the Commander's Quarters by calling (509) 874-2372; arrange your tour before your visit.

Another seasonal activity is Tieton Farm & Creamery's Saturday farm tours in the “Walk n' Talk” format. As the offering is seasonal, confirm dates in advance.

Planning Your Trip

The Yakima Valley Trolleys offer two described routes: the Pine Street Line runs from 3rd Avenue to Holton Avenue; the Selah Line passes through Selah Gap to downtown Selah. If you plan to take a ride, check the schedule beforehand. When choosing a hotel in Yakima, you can decide on your focus first: trails and nature watching or museums and historic sightseeing.

Discover More Destinations

Discover more destinations: Outlook, Selah, Yakima, Sunnyside, Toppenish, Zillah, Wapato, Union Gap.

For the main travel overview: Washington.