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English: Welcome to the Yakima River Canyon! This is the spot where Highway 821 parallels the gentle Yakima River for 27 miles—from Ellensburg to Yakima—through massive basalt cliffs and rolling desert hills.

Follow this scenic central Washington pathway for glimpses of rich wildlife and plant communities, echoes of a historical past and many opportunities for recreational enjoyment (like rafting!).

This canyon has been designated as a state scenic route and offers fishing in a trout stream, river rafting and camping. The BLM manages over 9,000 acres in the Yakima River Canyon area, including four developed river access sites. Follow the meandering river, as it slices between basalt cliffs formed by centuries-old upheavals.

It's thought that Yakima River predates those stony ramparts, once flowing across a relatively flat landscape. As rock ridges rose, river erosion equaled the walls which once formed part of one of the largest lava fields in the world, said to have covered 200,000 square miles in Washington, Oregon and Idaho.

To learn more about the sites along the river (Big Pines, Roza, Umtanum and Lmuma Creek) and to download your very own Yakima Canyon map, head on over to: www.blm.gov/or/resources/recreation/site_info.php?siteid=251

Or just stop on by the Wenatchee Field Office and have a chat with their friendly staff: 915 N. Walla Walla Wenatchee, WA 98801 509-665-2100 Hours: 8 a.m. - 4 p.m.

Photo by Michael Campbell, BLM, May 12, 2016