There are different reported lengths for this trail, I was hoping that it went beyond the reported 3.5 miles. Right at 3.5 miles, there is no sign of a trail anywhere and the trees look almost impassable. (On the way out I saw that after that point is a nature reserve and you should not enter)  Up until that point there are helpful ribbons and the trail is often clearly seen. There are some very overgrown sections in the last mile (see picture 2).  I had to look around for the trail or ribbons at times, I had to consult Gaia once to find the trail.  

A friend saw a rattlesnake on 2 different trips in the last week, I didn't see any (it was a cold morning). She also spotted poison ivy and sent me a picture (picture #4), about a foot tall, white berries. 

There are many creek crossings. Some of the rocks were slimy/slippery, test them before you put your weight down. A few of the crossings were a little challenging (I'm a 3 out of 10 with creek crossings).  When the trail goes up a rock field on the side of the canyon, there is one small section with a little exposure (see picture 3). A person who was a 1 out of 10 with exposure would be bothered by this, I'm a 3, and I was just a little more careful with my steps. 

Very pretty colors, but not as spectacular as the colors I've seen in recent pictures from Cowiche.  I don't have a lot of experience in when colors are best here. My guess is they are in the downswing overall. But, there is still a lot of color and many of the trees haven't turned yet (including many aspens). 

Logs were airlifted into the creek for restoration purposes, this link has an explanation of the effort.   

http://yakamafish-nsn.gov/restore/projects/yakima-basin-wood-fiesta 

The drive through Yakima Canyon is beautiful. The geology of the canyon is interesting. An excellent Nick Zentner (an entertaining professor from CWU) lecture on the geology of the canyon and the ridges in this area. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0o19BMrPmhs&t=112s

I'm leading a Mountaineers hike here on Oct 27th, a free guest membership gets you 2 free activities.

https://www.mountaineers.org/activities/activities/day-hike-umtanum-creek-canyon-10

Mild temperatures, overcast, almost silent. No other hikers. Few bird species, but ravens and magpies were in uncommon abundance. The double-digit raven convention at the canyon rim allowed a few magpies, but crows, Steller's jays, and a late-season turkey vulture all encountered the bouncers.

As always in late season, creek crossings were easy. I took a side canyon above my favorite ponderosa pine about 3 miles in to my lunch eyrie. A hairy woodpecker arrived at the top of the pine, and a yellow-shafted flicker flew by followed by a red-shafted one.

At least a dozen homestead orchard trees are dropping fruit now, mostly apple and at least one pear.

My brother and I made this hike and it was a beautiful trip. Fall colors are everywhere and it is amazing to see the different natural colors along the trail. The trail is easy to follow for the most part (we took a wrong turn but it was easy to correct.) I would definitely recommend wearing long pants as there are plants, trees, and general shubbery that stick out on the path (no way around them). The creek was easily crossable without getting wet. Overall we went about 7 miles in just under 3 hours.

The fall colors are just starting to come out in the canyon, and we had gorgeous sunny weather with high in the 60s. There were a few people on the trail but not many given the beauty of the day and the location. We probably found a dozen apple trees with ripe fruit available. Most had pest damage but plenty of clean fruit could be found. We also found pear and walnut trees.

The hike is easy and mostly level. The terrain is fascinatingly variable with areas of sagebrush, aspen groves, scree, and of course, Umtanum Creek. This is a wonderfully accessible hike.

Trail is deteriorating - it was difficult in many places to ascertain the correct treadpath.  Brush/grass overgrown, many side tracks to lead you astray.  On the other hand, didn't encounter any other hikers even for such a small area.

But the place is magnificent, and in a few short weeks it will be ablaze with fall colors!

We headed in at about 10am - when we came back to the parking lot it was p.a.c.k.e.d with people blowing up their floaty-toys - some to even rival the ones appearing at SeaFair!  The river was full of brightly colored crafts and happy people!