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Print Friendly MapCentral Washington's Yakima Greenway is a gem of a trail, connecting residents with the outdoors by providing access to the Yakima River, lakes, parks, nature trails, protected conservation areas and the Yakima Area Arboretum. There are wildlife viewing platforms along the way and you may even catch sight of a bald eagle on your journey.
The southern end of the pathway begins in Union Gap. From there, the paved pathway follows the river north and then west for about 10 miles on its journey to Yakima. From the midpoint at Yakima, the trail forks: a short spur travels up to Selah and a longer section extends west to Fruitvale and then north to Naches.
The northern section, sometimes referred to as the Naches Rail to Trail, loosely parallels US 12 through the eastern foothills of the Cascades. Along the way, a striking link to its past is a refurbished railroad bridge over the Naches River. Also, as you enter Naches and cross Naches Avenue, keep your eyes open for an unusual sight: an eight-sided Art Deco building with a tall spire; the small white structure was once part of a gas station and now is a distinctive town landmark. The trail ends a touch farther on at the charming Historic Naches Train Depot, which serves as a visitor center. Built in 1906, the depot was used for both freight and passenger service until the early 1950s.
There are numerous parking areas along the Yakima Greenway. On the southern section of the trail, your best bets are in Sarg Hubbard Park on S. 18th Street, at the Yakima Area Arboretum on Arboretum Drive and at the E. Valley Mall Boulevard terminus just east of the I-82 underpass.
For the northern section of the trail, you can park at the Historic Naches Train Depot (Naches) and Chesterley Park (40th Avenue and River Road in Yakima).
We rode about 9 miles to Naches today. Very nice trail, well maintained. Nice little antique store in Naches.Not one pile of anything on the trail! Going to ride the other part tomorrow.
Tried to start at the southern end but trail washed out. Had to drive to main park to start. Pretty tra but bumpy.
Make sure you read the signs for detours & street crossing. People are very friendly and the scenery is nice, lots of people out fishing along the way.
The trail is still washed out south of the Arboretum. It’s a little tricky to find the trail at the Arboretum. Nice views of the river. Not too many people.
Start of the trail is great and goes through some very nice bird friendly wetlands. But it is washed out about 2 miles south of the Arboretum making most of it inaccessible
This trail is wide and widely used. From serious athletes to large families with strollers - but everyone fits well and seem to enjoy the company. I took a side trip up Selah Hill (steep but short) and got a nice view of the valley. Don’t miss the iron rail bridges!
June 26, 2014
It was a great day for a ride on a gorgeous trail even if a thunder shower interrupted it for a bit. There are plenty of covered benches and tables under which to find shelter. The trail has been rerouted for a mile near the Valley Mall Blvd trailhead. It's wider and looks like more tables and benches will be there soon. Lots of great river views and different species of birds. At one point there are a couple of hotels right next to the trail with the Yakima River on the other side. The trail surface itself was good. Many places had been repaired and there was some river erosion collapsing the trail near 16th street. It was very safe still but will need work soon.
There are plenty of restroom facilities but only one water stop near Sarg Hubbard Park. The restrooms are the outhouse style but are mostly clean. OK if you don't mind the smell. There are plenty of fast food places next to the trail near the middle.
There is a volunteer “marshal” cruising the trail in a golf cart. He has ice cold water if you want some. I asked about Yakima's gang issue. He said the new sheriff has done a great job to remedy the problem and nobody should be concerned about being on this trail. I believe him as there were many families and even women walking or jogging alone on the trail.
There were many trailheads along the way. Checkout Trailbear's posted links.
I normally scamper through Yakima to the Tri Cities and their trails, but this looks like an interesting trail.
Here are some links for maps and information...
http://yakimagreenway.org/map.html
http://yakimagreenway.org/pdf/GreenwayMapLg.pdf
Enjoy - and someone can write the first review.
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