Day Hike - Umtanum Ridge

Meet at the TH  at 8:30am. Plan to be geared up and ready to head out at 8:45am, following introductions. 

Trailhead Directors from WTA: 

From I-90, take exit 109. Turn left on Canyon Road. Continue 11.7 miles to the Umtanum Creek Recreation Area. The parking lot is on the right side of the road. Pull into the parking lot and continue until you see the bridge. 

From the south, take exit 26 at the Yakima Firing/Training Center. Take a left at the stop sign and continue on the road until Umtanum Recreation Site (you will pass Roza, Big Pines, and Lmuna). Signs will give you advanced warning. Turn left into the entrance. 

The parking lot is owned by BLM and fees are in place year-round; it is $5.00 a car. Frequent day use visitors may wish to purchase the Daily Annual Use Permit as an alternative to the day use fee. This is a separate pass. Contact the BLM at 509-665-2100 for details.

The America the Beautiful pass is acceptable for this parking lot.

From the Umtanum Creek Recreation Area, we will cross the Yakima River on a suspension bridge then head up the sandy trail to the ridge crest. We will hike at a pace of 2.0 mph with stops for photographs and to admire wildflowers and will plan to stay together. The grade is persistent and moderately strenuous, until the last half mile, which intensifies, becoming steep and strenuous on the final push up the ridge.  Plan for lunch on the ridge, weather-permitting.

Weather Forecast

Participants must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19.

This is a mentored hike for Erin Vagley.