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Yakima Voyage Tips and guide

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Yakima is the principal city of the Yakima Valley, an agricultural region noted for apple, wine, and hop production on the Columbia River Plateau of Washington State. It is the county seat of Yakima County.

This article also covers the nearby communities of Union Gap and Selah.

Understand

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Yakima, from Lookout Point

The name Yakima originates from the Yakama Nation Native American tribe, whose reservation is south of the city and includes Toppenish and Wapato.

If you drink beer, then you've had one of the local specialties; the Yakima Valley produces roughly 3/4 of all hops grown in the United States. Yakima Valley wine country, the largest grape growing region in the state, also begins south of Union Gap.

The Yakima Convention and Visitors Bureau is the official tourism office for Yakima, Yakima County and the Yakima Valley.

Get in

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Due to its arid climate, Yakima is sometimes called "The Palm Springs of Washington"

By plane

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By bus

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  • 2 Yakima Transit Center, 105 S 4th St (along S 4th St btwn E Walnut & Chestnut). Hub for most local and regional transit services. OSM directions Apple Maps directions (beta) Google Maps directions
  • Frontera del Norte, (bus station) 1408 E Nob Hill Blvd (along E Nob Hill Blvd between S 14th & 15th St), +1 509 576-8741. Connects Pasco, Sunnyside & Yakima WA in eastern Washington (state) to Los Angeles and the Mexican border in San Ysidro in Southern California via Portland, Oregon.
  • Greyhound & Flixbus (Flixbus operated MTR Western and Greyhound), (bus stop) Tall Men's Supermarket @ 202 S 5th Ave (S 5th Ave & W Walnut St), +1 509 317-2388, toll-free: +1-800-231-2222. Travels primarily on Interstate 90/82 (Seattle, Ellensburg, Sunnyside, Pasco (Tri-Cities) and Spokane at I-90). Downtown bus station on S 6th St & E Yakima Ave is closed.
  • BellAir Airporter, (depot) 2518 S 21st (at Ahtanum Rd, south of the airport), +1-866-235-5247. Goes from Sea-Tac to Cle Elum, Ellensburg & Yakima. Additional stops at the Yakima Air Terminal @ 2400 West Washington Ave (under canopy in front of the terminal building) and Smittys (Log Cabin) Cafe & Conoco 76 @ 3508 Fruitvale Blvd.
  • People for People Yakima Transportation Services Rt #200, (bus stop) downtown Yakima Transit Center @ 105 S 4th St (along S 4th St btwn E Walnut & Chestnut), +1 509 457-1111, +1 509 248-6726. It goes east from Yakima to Wapato, Toppenish, Zillah, Granger, Sunnyside, Grandview and Prosser along the I-82/US 97/US 12 corridor in Yakima and Benton Counties.
  • Yakima-Ellensburg Commuter (Yakima Transit Rt#11), (bus stops) Yakima Air Terminal, Yakima Valley Community College and downtown Yakima Transit Center @ 105 S 4th St, +1 509 575-6175. Commuter bus between Ellensburg and Yakima funded by Central Washington University and Yakima Transit.

By car

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Yakima is along Interstate 82 (I-82), approximately 143 mi (230 km) southeast of Seattle, 204 mi (328 km) southwest of Spokane, and 80 mi (130 km) northwest of the Tri-Cities (Richland-Kennewick-Pasco).

  • From Seattle, take I-90 East to the I-82 off ramp, Exit 110, just beyond Ellensburg. Keep right on I-82 East and take exit 31A-31B to North 1st Street / Naches.
  • From Spokane, take I-90 West until Exit 110, I-82 East, continuing until exit 31A-31B to North 1st Street / Naches.
  • From the Tri-Cities, take I-82 West until exit 33. Merge onto East Yakima Avenue.
Yakima River Canyon, along WA-821

State Route 821 (WA-821), the Old Canyon Highway, is a scenic alternative route from the Ellensburg region. It's a two-lane road that winds through the Yakima River gorge between I-82 Exits 3 and 26, bypassing the interstate over the mountain ridges. During the daytime, the views are lovely and there are several spots midway to stop, fish, and even camp. Be cautious of rocks on the road, though, and stick to the Interstate at night.

Get around

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Map
Map of Yakima
  • Yakima Transit, +1 509 575-6175. Yakima Transit operates local buses in and around Yakima (city) on Rt #1 through 9; from Selah in the Selah Valley north of town on Rt #10 and from Ellensburg on Rt #11. Take the #7 or 9 from the airport into town.

See

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Old North Yakima Historic District
  • 1 Central Washington Agricultural Museum, 4508 Main St, Union Gap, +1 509 865-451. 9AM-5PM. Displays of historical agriculture, including machines and buildings. OSM directions Apple Maps directions (beta) Google Maps directions
  • 2 McAllister Museum of Aviation, 2008 S 16th Ave (east end of the Yakima Airport, next to Cub Crafters, near the corner of 16th and Washington), +1 509-457-4933, . It opened in 1926 as a flight school by brothers Charlie and Alister McAllister, and was one of the longest running flight schools in the Northwest. After Charlie's death at age 95, the school was transformed into the museum it is today. OSM directions Apple Maps directions (beta) Google Maps directions
  • 3 Yakima Area Arboretum, 1401 Arboretum Dr, +1 509-248-7337. Established in 1967 by the Central District of the Washington State Federation of Garden Clubs (36 garden clubs in all), the Yakima Area Arboretum is a living museum of over 1000 specimens of trees, herbs, grasses and shrubs, on 46 acres of land managed as collections, display gardens and natural areas. Yakima Area Arboretum (Q8047084) on Wikidata Yakima Area Arboretum on Wikipedia OSM directions Apple Maps directions (beta) Google Maps directions
  • 4 Yakima Valley Museum, 2105 Tieton Dr (at Franklin Park), +1 509 248-0747. Tu-Sa 10AM-5PM. Offers historical exhibits on the Yakima Valley—its natural history, Plateau cultural objects, pioneer life, early city life, and the roots and development of the Valley’s fruit industry. The museum also features a functioning replica of a late 1930s Art Deco soda fountain, furnished with salvaged and restored parts of soda fountains which once operated in Yakima, serving ice cream treats and other fountain favorites for visitors to the museum and Franklin Park. $8/adult, $6/senior and student, $5/child. Yakima Valley Museum (Q8047105) on Wikidata Yakima Valley Museum on Wikipedia OSM directions Apple Maps directions (beta) Google Maps directions

Do

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  • 1 The Capitol Theatre, 19 S 3rd St, +1 509-853-2787. An arts theatre that hosts an array of performances from Broadway shows, comedic acts, and musical talents. Capitol Theatre, Yakima (Q5035951) on Wikidata Capitol Theatre (Yakima, Washington) on Wikipedia OSM directions Apple Maps directions (beta) Google Maps directions
  • 2 Casino Caribbean Yakima, 1901 Boggess St. A somewhat diminutive affair but with Vegas-style games featuring slots, Blackjack, Craps, Roulette, Pai Gow, 3-Card Poker, Spanish 21 and Ultimate Texas Hold’em. OSM directions Apple Maps directions (beta) Google Maps directions
  • Little Hopper, +1 509-985-7470. Yakima Valley being premier wine country, this company offers wine tours encompassing multiple wineries in or close to the city.

Outdoors

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  • Boulder Cave (32 miles west of Naches. Take WA-410 to Milepost 95.4, turn left on paved road.). April 1 - Oct 31. Unlike many Washington caves, Boulder Cave is formed from volcanic rock which was eroded away and collapsed. A fun boulder scramble, suitable for kids. Bring a flashlight. The short loop trail has a branch which is wheelchair accessible. Day use only. Part of Wenatchee National Forest. $5/vehicle, $15/bus.
  • Tieton Rock Climbing (19 miles west on US-12, just past the junction with WA-410). A series of crags along a 20-mile stretch of US-12, in a basalt/andesite flow between Naches and Rimrock Lake. Lots of sport and trad crack routes.
  • 3 Yakima Sportsman State Park, 904 University Pkwy (3 miles southeast of downtown), +1 509 575-2774. Summer: 6:30AM-10PM; Winter: 8AM-5PM. A 247-acre camping park created by irrigating a patch of otherwise desert river floodplain. Discover Pass required ($10/day, $30/year). Yakima Sportsman State Park (Q8047096) on Wikidata Yakima Sportsman State Park on Wikipedia OSM directions Apple Maps directions (beta) Google Maps directions

Events

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Buy

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Downtown Yakima offers a variety of entertainment venues, retail outlets, restaurants, and wine cellars.

Union Gap has The Valley Mall and Shopping Plaza, with a wide variety of the usual nationwide chains.

Eat

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Asian

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Casual dining

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Fine dining

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Mexican

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Drink

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Yakima Valley Hop Yard, this area produces 77% of the United States hops, a key ingredient in beer making

Beer

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Coffee

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Wine

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Sleep

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Stay healthy

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Sometimes there will be an advisory issued for poor air quality due to stagnation. Because of Yakima's location within a mountain valley, air sometimes settles and becomes stagnant for an extended period of time. During this phenomenon, pollutants often accumulate and subsequently the air quality becomes poorer than usual, and can affect those individuals who have existing respiratory conditions. Refer to the National Weather Service to see if any such advisories have been issued for the Yakima Valley region.

There have been confirmed cases of hantaviral pulmonary syndrome in the Yakima Valley. Hantavirus is spread by mice. Although this disease is very rare, take precautions when entering places potentially frequented by rodents, such as confined spaces or places that are dusty and underexposed to sunlight. For more information, visit the CDC website on hantaviruses.

During the summer months, the temperature in Yakima and the greater Yakima Valley often exceeds 100 °F (38 °C). If you are to be outside for long periods of time, drink plenty of water and limit the intake of alcohol and caffeine to prevent dehydration and heat stroke.

Hospitals

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Stay safe

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Crime

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Yakima does experience gang activity within the city limits. Incidents of violence are mostly isolated to particular neighborhoods, mostly on the east side. The problems it does have are typical of most mid-size American cities and rarely effect the average person.

Go next

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Routes through Yakima
EllensburgSelah  N  S  Union GapRichland
CentraliaMossyrock  W  E  Union GapRichland
WenatcheeSelah  N  S  Union GapBend



This city travel guide to Yakima is a usable article. It has information on how to get there and on restaurants and hotels. An adventurous person could use this article, but please feel free to improve it by editing the page.


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