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Umtanum Creek Falls

Central Washington > Yakima
46.8992, -120.6428 Map & Directions
Length
1.9 miles, roundtrip
Elevation Gain
130 feet
Highest Point
2,500 feet
Calculated Difficulty About Calculated Difficulty
Easy
Photo by Whitebark.
  • Wildflowers/Meadows
  • Mountain views
  • Wildlife
  • Good for kids
  • Waterfalls

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Hike downhill, enjoy spring blooms and throw rocks into a punchbowl at the bottom of a 40-foot waterfall. Continue reading

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Hiking Umtanum Creek Falls

Hike downhill, enjoy spring blooms and throw rocks into a punchbowl at the bottom of a 40-foot waterfall.

An easy stroll along a burbly creek, the Umtanum Creek Falls Trail has something for everyone in the family to enjoy. The way is shaded by Douglas-fir and ponderosa pine. Kids should look closely for wildflowers like yellow desert-parsley, bluebells, wax currant and bitterbrush. Encourage them to listen to the different bird songs, using binoculars to spot bluebirds, woodpeckers and more.

The trail is confusing at about 0.3 mile in. The trail goes straight up the rocks along logs. Don't go right and cross the creek. Many hikers have made this mistake.

Identify the sweet fragrance of sagebrush, while keeping an eye out for bighorn sheep on nearby canyon walls. The trail opens up to reveal Umtanum Creek Falls, a pretty little waterfall that cascades into a pool surrounded on three sides by basalt walls. Hikers can take a rough trail to the bottom of the of the falls, or stay at the top and enjoy the view.

Toilet Information

  • No toilet at trailhead

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Hike Description Written by
Multiple authors contributed to this report, WTA Community

Umtanum Creek Falls

Map & Directions

Trailhead
Co-ordinates: 46.8992, -120.6428 Open in Google Maps

Before You Go

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Parking Pass/Entry Fee

Discover Pass

WTA Pro Tip: Save a copy of our directions before you leave! App-based driving directions aren't always accurate and data connections may be unreliable as you drive to the trailhead.

Getting There

From Ellensburg, drive west on Umtanum Road from Canyon Road.  Stay on Umtanum Road for 10.0 miles to a signed trailhead area. The last 5 miles of the road is unpaved dirt road with washboards. Watch out for speeding dump trucks.

From Yakima, drive Highway 12 west 9.5 miles to Allan Road. Turn here onto N Wenas Road and proceed to the signed trailhead area, 24.3 miles down the road.

More Hike Details

Trailhead

Central Washington > Yakima

Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, Wenas Wildlife Area

Guidebooks & Maps

Best Desert Hikes: Washington (Bauer & Nelson - Mountaineers Books)

Washington State Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Yakima

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Umtanum Creek Falls

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