I was chasing the sunshine out in Eastern WA and decided to do a little car camping as well.

Arrived at the trailhead and reserved a campsite for the night... There is now an electronic touch screen credit card machine so you don't have to worry about having cash and a pen in your car. So convenient! There are six simple campsites at the trailhead... A place to park, a fire pit, a place for a tent, and a picnic table. Also, two pit toilets WITH toilet paper! Everything you could need! During winter the campsites are first come, first serve, but there are multiple other camping areas in Yakima Canyon if this one gets full. Camping is $15 night. It's not the most quiet spot- right off the highway and by active train tracks... But the noise didn't bother me too much, especially since I was sleeping in the back of my car. 

Also, just to note, this is BLM land so ONLY America the Beautiful Passes can be used. NOT NW Forest. If you don't have AtB, it's a $5 day use fee. 

After I paid for my campsite, I started on the Umtanum Creek Trail (labeled "A" on my map below). This one is almost entirely flat and follows the creek through the canyon. I did not make it to the end of the trail as shown on Gaia, because it ended up being too overgrown. The trail isn't the easiest to follow... there were several spots were I got a bit off trail and had to do some awkward creek crossings and bush-whacking. Well, actually most of the plants were still in their winter dormant stage so it was more like stick-whacking. I went as far as I could but finally got to a point where I'd have to commit to getting wet or SERIOUS bush-whacking... I turned around. Saw a few yellow flowers in the canyon, a pretty green butterfly, some rusty old tools, and lots of cool birds (hawks, woodpeckers, wild turkeys, swallows).

I still had several hours before dark so I headed up the Vista Trail, but veered left at the fork (trail "B" on the map... the pink trail is one I did last year) onto an un-named trail that seems to follow an old road bed. This trail had nice views of Yakima River and Baldy Mountain in the distance. After the initial climb it stays pretty even. It looked like it went even further than the map showed, but I wanted to get back to camp before it was totally dark so I turned around at the trail's end point on Gaia. There were quite a bit more (different) yellow flowers up on this section of the trail... Not in profusion, yet, but a few nice sized patches. I saw probably 15-20 deer up on the hills, too.

When I got back to my campsite I was mildly annoyed to find that someone had decided to take the campsite directly next to me, even though I was the only other camper there. I felt a bit guilty for being annoyed though, because he was quiet and kindly offered to let me warm my hands by the fire in the morning. I declined, because I am extremely shy and socially awkward. lol. But it was still a kind offer. 

A beautiful area with lots to experience. Some grand old Ponderosa Pines that survived the fire, beaver dams, Western Bluebirds and some sage buttercup just starting. The trail needs some major clearing - my guess is that is because it’s been closed when they built the new bridge - lots of brush that hasn’t leafed out. It might be worse in a few weeks - felt like bushwhacking at times.  It was hard to know where the trail was at times, and other times multiple spurs were confusing. All the talk about stream crossings is confusing since there is a trail that avoids this. And in this area trail location is very confusing. One of us crossed, they other went around yet we were able to reconnect. I hope WTA can do some work here! 

Given the good weather on a weekend AM, we decided to get away from the crowds by checking out this trail in the Yakima River Canyon.  There were about 10 cars in the lot when we arrived.  The early parts of the  hike were muddy where the snow had recently melted.  There are lots of braided trails throughout the hike which can make it difficult to navigate some times.  We missed the first creek crossing by following one of those trails and having to backtrack. First crossing is via a small log and rocks. Poles were helpful.  The second crossing has many logs side-by-side.   Navigation through the burnt-out areas was tricky as there were lots of bootpaths that sometimes abruptly ended. In other places, the compacted snow and ice from others hadn't melted, leaving a clear trail.  There were only a few icy spots to cross - fortunately the trail is flat. We turned around slightly after crossing the scree near 3 miles.   By the time we returned to the car, the temps were near 60 F and we passed hiked in shorts and tank tops.

Ethan, Karen, & I headed out to Umtanum Canyon on this cool, cloudy day.  We hiked up the canyon to about 1/4 mile beyond the second crossing, then backtracked and climbed to our usual lunch spot above the canyon.  It was cool, so we didn't spend our usual hour or so.  After lunch we retraced our steps back to the cars.  There was an inch or so of snow on the ground.  Ethan & Karen had traction devices, but I did fine without them.  We didn't see any wildlife and only 3 other parties of hikers.  Even though it was cloudy, the canyon was still beautiful with all the snow highlighting the texture of the cliffs.

This is one of our favorite local strolls. Last time I was here I hiked up Umtanum Crest. But today we stuck to the canyon floor. There were approximately 10 cars in the Umtanum Recreation Area lot around 11:30 AM. Temps were cool, but skies were clear and calm. Side note: Remember to bring $5 cash for parking- the Discovery Pass and NW Forest Pass do not work here but America the Beautiful Pass does.

Once we crossed the bridge and went under the railroad tracks we veered right at the Y. The muted winter colors are gorgeous! Frosty sage greens, faded okras, and bursts of bright orange and red. The trail was hard packed and frozen underfoot but not icy. It was easy to follow for the most part. Pink ribbons helped in areas that were a little overgrown. Stay to the right of the canyon to follow the longer path (other paths end after a mile or so). There was one tricky spot at a creek crossing. Someone laid sticks across to make a makeshift bridge, but they were wobbly and slippery so cross with care. The creek is not deep but a slip would result in an icy plunge up to your ankles. We walked into the canyon for about 2 miles and then turned around. I think the trail goes on for another mile or so. We saw a couple of groups while we were out, including a pair of hunters. Who were very polite.

This is a great trail if you want to avoid snow, steep elevation, or tricky driving access. It is generally snow free through the winter and offers a unique and stunning landscape within our wonderful “evergreen” state.

Watch stats: 4 miles, 1 hr 20 min active hiking, 250 ft elev gain