This hike was a highlight for me.  It was only my second hike since the trails opened and it was a total delight and wonderful surprise.  My hiking buddy, JC,  had the idea to head to the eastern side of the state to look for wildflowers, and I am so glad!  I love the spring in the desert.  We initially headed to an area near Kittitas based on a trip report the described great wildflowers.  But it was pouring rain and did not look like it would let up anytime soon.  So we headed to Yakima Canyon and Umtanum Creek trails.  We started in light rain but eventually the sun came out and it was glorious.  We first hiked up the first side canyon trail after crossing the bridge, but after about 1.5 miles it became too muddy and slick.  The wildflowers were great!  As we turned around the sun came out and we were quite happy with the views, too.   We then walked up the creek trail, which is really beautiful and opens up to big vistas of the cliffs and hills which were so green due to all the rain; the birds were very active and chatty as well.  We saw black headed grosbeak, yellow breasted chat, goldfinch, vultures.  The wildflowers were best heading up the side-canyon trail.  We didn't see any rattle snakes on either trail.  There were just a handful of people on the trail, likely due to the weather. 

Still there. Still spectacular. Not too many people most people stay within a half mile of the Yakima. Exquisite views, and wonderful sounds: silence, the wind, creeks and countless birds.

Animals seen: Seahawks, marmot, big horned sheep, rattlesnake, butterflies various species. The rattler was especially gorgeous. 

Trail conditions: social trails interlacing throughout. There is a main trail but traveling into the canyon it becomes difficult to maintain around the creek crossing a mile in. There is a good alternate route that traverses the talus field, on the canyon  wall located hikers left. There is tape in the overgrown areas at times offering clues of which way to go. To penetrate deeper you will need to pay attention and be patient. GPS is helpful.

Road/Trailhead: Road is paved and parking lot is gravel. There are 2 privies that are currently open and stocked with TP. Normally, there is a parking fee, but currently BLM is not collecting parking fees.

Trail: Trail is in good condition in some places and really overgrown in others. There was a lot of bushwhacking along the trail - we were glad we were wearing pants! The trail follows the creek, but isn't by the creek very often. 

The trail has a lot of variety. It felt like walking through Western and Eastern Washington all on the same trail. There were some wildflowers blooming. Beware of rattlesnakes - we were told by a few people that they had seen them right by the trail, but we didn't see them. 

Notes: Bushwhacking got old after a while, especially on a short trail. The suspension bridge is really cool and fun to see! Would love to go back and do the ridge trail. Everyone was socially distancing that we encountered.

Our family chose this trail because we thought it would give a lot of opportunity for social distance.  We arrived about 10 and there were only about a dozen cars in the very large lot.  Although we thought we needed the Discover pass, there were signs about needing a separate BLM daily parking permit, but the pay station was closed/covered in plastic.  We displayed our Discover Pass, as did the other cars we saw.  Some parts of the trail were bushy and overgrown, but we were able to follow the trail without a problem.  I think we clocked close to miles each way.  We saw one rattlesnake, and many turkey vultures and hawks overhead.  We did find quite a few ticks on our dogs when we got back to the car, so be aware!  Overall, we probably saw less that five other hiking groups, and all were good about staying 6 feet about.  We also had masks handy to put over our faces when passing by other groups.    It was a great day to enjoy the beautiful weather, and the canyon!  It was worth the trip!  

Unfortunately I picked a cold, overcast, and windy day to hike this beautiful canyon.  It is one I will definitely come back to and do again.  If you decide to hike here, don't do what I did and park in the first lot you see.  Oh, no, save yourself a 1/4 mile cold and windy walk to park in the "real" parking lot further down the gravel road.  You will need a Discover Pass to park here, or pay a small fee.  After crossing the suspension bridge, follow the trail under the RR bridge, go left, then right to the trail and follow the trail along the creek.  It was too cold for my 2 playmates (see picture) so we didn't do all 6+ miles, but enough to see how beautiful it is.  Didn't see any wildflowers, still a little early and there are some muddy places, but not much.  Beautiful place to hike.