Yakima River Canyon

The canyon's walls tell a story written in lava. The dark, columnar cliffs are made of the Columbia River basalts, immense floods of molten rock that poured across the region millions of years ago, layer upon layer, cooling into the stacked columns you see today. As the land slowly rose, the Yakima River kept cutting down through it, carving the deep, winding canyon it flows through now.

The result is a landscape of great walls and tight bends, with the river looping back on itself and the road clinging to its bank. In the low light of morning and evening the basalt glows warm, and the shrub-steppe hills above soften from gray to gold, a subtle, dry-country beauty that grows on you the longer you linger.

The canyon is one of the best places in the state to see wildlife from the road. Bighorn sheep make their home on the steep slopes and rocky ledges, and drivers regularly spot them near the river, along with elk and mule deer that come down to the water. Patience and a slow pace are the only tools you need.

Overhead, the cliffs hold one of the densest concentrations of nesting raptors in Washington, hawks, eagles, and falcons riding the updrafts along the rimrock. In all, more than 200 species of birds use the canyon at some point in the year, whether to breed, to rest on migration, or to winter in its sheltered bottom, making it a favorite of birdwatchers as well as anglers.

The Yakima through the canyon is a gentle, friendly river, and in summer it fills with rafts and inner tubes drifting the miles between access points, one of the classic lazy floats in central Washington. The water is mostly calm, the current unhurried, and the scenery constant, which makes it a favorite for families and first-timers as well as seasoned paddlers.

The river is also a celebrated trout stream, managed as blue-ribbon catch-and-release water for rainbow and cutthroat trout. Fly anglers wade its runs and drift its banks in every season, sharing the water in summer with the floaters, all of them held in the same quiet embrace of basalt and sky.

The canyon changes character with the calendar. Spring greens the hills and brings wildflowers to the slopes, with the river running high and cold off the mountain snow. Summer is float season, hot and bright, when rafts and tubes drift the miles of gentle water and the basalt radiates the day's heat into the evening.

Fall quiets the crowds and turns the streamside cottonwoods gold, with some of the best fishing of the year arriving in the cooler water. Winter is starkest and most solitary, the shrub-steppe brown and the cliffs dusted with snow, when bighorn sheep and wintering birds have the canyon largely to themselves. Any season rewards a slow drive, but each shows the canyon a different face.

The closest Boutel™ stays, so you can turn this stop into an overnight. Each is a place we chose through independent editorial review, never a paid placement.

The Yakima River Canyon, between the towns of Ellensburg and Yakima in central Washington, is a scenic canyon where the Yakima River winds through dramatic basalt cliffs and rolling hills. A designated scenic byway follows the river through the canyon, offering beautiful views, and the area is renowned for its excellent fly fishing, with the Yakima being one of the premier trout streams in the state. The canyon is also popular for river floating, rafting, and tubing, along with wildlife viewing, including bighorn sheep on the cliffs. With its scenic river, world-class fly fishing, floating, and dramatic canyon scenery, the Yakima River Canyon offers a beautiful outdoor destination in central Washington.

You can fly fish for trout in the renowned Yakima River, one of the best trout streams in the state, float, raft, or tube the river through the scenic canyon, drive the scenic byway that follows the river for beautiful views, watch for wildlife including bighorn sheep on the cliffs and abundant birds, camp at riverside sites, and enjoy the dramatic canyon scenery. Fly fishing and river floating are the main draws. With its excellent fly fishing, river floating, scenic drive, and wildlife amid dramatic canyon scenery, the Yakima River Canyon offers a beautiful and varied outdoor experience in central Washington.

When floating, rafting, or tubing the river, always wear a life jacket, be aware of the current and cold water, especially during higher spring flows, and know your route, as some stretches have faster water. Summer floating is popular but the sun is intense, so use sun protection and stay hydrated. On the scenic byway, drive carefully on the winding canyon road. Watch for rattlesnakes in warm weather. Being mindful of water safety, the sun and heat, and driving conditions ensures a safe and enjoyable visit to the Yakima River Canyon.

Summer is popular for river floating and tubing in the warm weather, while the fly fishing is excellent much of the year with different seasons offering different conditions, and spring and fall bring pleasant temperatures, wildflowers or color, and good wildlife viewing, with fall especially lovely. Winter is cold and quiet. For river floating, aim for summer, and for fly fishing and comfortable scenery, spring through fall are all rewarding. The canyon's beauty and recreation make it enjoyable across the warmer seasons at the Yakima River Canyon.

The Yakima River Canyon is between Ellensburg and Yakima in central Washington, near the Yakima Valley wine country and its fruit stands, the college town of Ellensburg, and within reach of the Columbia River, the Wild Horse Monument, and the Cascade foothills. That makes the Yakima River Canyon a scenic stop to combine with the Yakima Valley fruit stands and wineries, Ellensburg, and the other attractions of central Washington on a visit to the state.