If you’re looking for wide open spaces, bluish, cloudy skies, long strides on miles of mix n match trails to choose from, the Cowiche Canyon Conservatory is the place. Since it was a clear day in the valley, and probably temporarily (due to active Schneider Creek fire and visible smoke billows toward Naches | Highway 410 | Chinook Pass), I headed up to enjoy the unique lands of the shrub steppe. Thank you for those who work and maintain and care of these precious conservatory lands. It shows. And it’s appreciated. 

I chose the South Rim | Radio Flyer | Old Jeep Road combo for about a 6 mile trek and it felt great stretching the legs after alpine lake hiking for most of the summer. As usual there is an abundance of wild sage and fall colors are peaking through on the winding, rocky trails. I chose not to head up to the winery trails today but knew the gorgeous fruit is ripe and being harvested from afar for the next several weeks. 

Tip: This could be a very cool all day adventure for out-of-towners. Mix n match hikes, trekking up to a winery, then a nice steak dinner with local wine in downtown Yakima at Cowiche Canyon Restaurant. Ample Yakima hops micro brews, too. Can’t beat it! 

What a beautiful day in Cowiche Canyon. We made a nice loop and enjoyed a hike along the top as well as the canyon itself. We heard frogs by the creek and raptors screeching above. Yellow jackets showed up as we were finishing our lunch. It was quite a swarm but thankfully no one got stung. 
If you’re not ready for fall, just head east. Still feels like summer to me. 
We took the scenic route 410 home and saw the flames and smoke of wildfires on the ridge in the Bumping Lake area. Many thanks to the fire fighters!

I took an afternoon walk in Cowiche Canyon from the east end today.  I walked up to bridge #6 and back.  The canyon is starting to color up.  The sumac is red (its been red for a few weeks), the rabbitbrush is in bloom, and the willows and other shrubs are starting to turn.  It will only get better in the weeks to come.  The afternoon was mostly sunny and warm.

I took a walk on the Cowiche Canyon Uplands from the Scenic Dr trailhead on this sunny, warm, windy afternoon.  I walked a loop of the South Rim Trail to Trail Breaker, up Trail Breaker to the jeep road, and back to my truck.  The Round-headed Desert Buckwheat was profuse and there were more Sagebrush Mariposa Lilies than I have ever seen up here.  There was also Dusty Maiden, Yarrow, and a few Cushion, Linear-leaf, & Shaggy Daisies and some Purple Sage still hanging on.  I seemed to have the place to myself.  

Started at the west parkinglot, you walk past a few residences into the canyon. The canyon is beautiful! We walked up to the scenic overlook, admiring the shrubery. We then decided to walk up to the winery for a delicious wine tasting and a lovely reprieve from the heat. The winery also has a food truck on the weekend.