Discover Yakima: Trails, Nature and Culture

Yakima combines extensive riverside trails with gardens, museums, a historic railway tradition and a diverse range of events. Those planning a trip with different daily rhythms can choose between outdoor activities, cultural discoveries and events. When looking for a vacation rental in Yakima, it is therefore worth first determining your personal focus: Is it primarily about walks and wildlife observation, museums and history, or a stay centered around events?

Riverside Trails, Park Landscapes and Nature Experiences

The Yakima Greenway includes a 20-mile trail for bicycles and pedestrians that connects Union Gap, Yakima, Selah and Naches. The Plath Pathway runs along the Naches River between Yakima and Naches. The Noel Pathway also follows the Yakima River; it connects the Yakima Greenway visitor center with the Yakima Area Arboretum. These different trails allow you to adapt your trip planning to your preferred route and desired daily schedule.

Sarg Hubbard Park features a picturesque Reflection Pond, a playground and an easily accessible connection to the Yakima Greenway trail. The Greenway itself follows paved, low-barrier paths to rivers, wetlands, wildlife habitats and open landscapes. A nature-oriented section along the Yakima River and the ponds in Poppoff Park offers opportunities for wildlife and bird watching.

As a destination in its own right, Cowiche Canyon Trail lies six miles northwest of downtown Yakima. The 2.9-mile trail has a firm gravel surface, nine stream crossings and access to riparian vegetation and wildlife. Those who want to combine different landscape impressions will find another specific option for a day outdoors here, in addition to the trails along the Yakima River.

Gardens, Museums and Distinctive Local Stories

The Yakima Area Arboretum covers 46 acres with display gardens, tree collections and natural areas. It offers nature walks and horticulture classes. The Yakima Valley Museum provides a different perspective on the region, with more than 48,000 artifacts about the people who have lived in the Yakima Valley over the years. The Sundquist Research Library and Archives complements this offering as a regional archive and a collection on local history. At the museum, Children’s Underground offers hands-on activities as well as space for exploration and free play.

The city’s history is also reflected in notable locations. The Capitol Theatre opened as the Mercy Theatre in 1920 and was renamed the Capitol Theatre one year later. Today it hosts local resident ensembles, community events, guest artists and touring productions. Millennium Plaza features a ring of colored light inspired by the rhythm and movement of the friendship dance at Yakama powwows. At the same time, the plaza honors the importance of water to the people of Yakima and addresses the Yakima River, irrigation from the mountains, and the valley’s vegetation, wildlife and orchards.

For those interested in regional distinctions, the Yakima Valley Museum also has 2,640 geological exhibits from around the world, including 464 Ellensburg Blue Agates. The Yakima Valley Trolleys operate along historic Pine Street from 3rd Avenue to Holton Avenue. The system is listed in the National Register of Historic Places as an authentic, completely original electric interurban railway dating from the turn of the 20th century. Approximately five miles of historic tracks connect Yakima and Selah in Washington State.

Events and Planning the Right Vacation

State Fair Park serves as an event center year-round, not only during the fair held once a year. Between fairs, it hosts, among other things, auto races, craft fairs, home and garden shows, car shows, concerts, cultural festivals and sporting events. The first fair in Washington State was held on the site in 1892; today, the annual Central Washington State Fair is one of the significant events held there.

A vacation rental in Yakima can therefore serve as the starting point for very different vacation days: trails along the water, a visit to the arboretum, museum time with children or an event at State Fair Park. When choosing your accommodation, compare above all which of these experiences are intended to form the focus of your trip. If you would like to compare more places, you can find Zillah, Toppenish, Union Gap, Wapato, Selah, Outlook and Sunnyside here.

For the higher-level travel overview: Yakima.