A Guide to Floating on the Yakima River
A 16-mile stretch of the Yakima River is popular with float fans
By Sarah Edwards August 4, 2018
This article originally appeared in the August 2018 issue of Seattle magazine.
This article is part of the cover story for the August 2018 issue. Find more from the story here. Click here to subscribe.
Each summer, a 16-mile stretch of the Yakima River between Ellensburg and Yakima along State Route 821 (Canyon Road), with its cool, refreshing, rapid-free water, attracts hundreds of float fans: kids and adults whose idea of the perfect way to while away a hot day is on an inner tube along this slow-moving river. Want to join them? Seattle magazine style and social editor Andrew Hoge grew up in Yakima and offers this insider guide to one of the state’s best float trips.
Best places to launch inner tubes on the river, and best routes: Traveling north to south, look for drop-off points along State Route 821. Choose your route based on how long you want to be in the river:
Big Pines Campground to Roza (about 1 hour, 4 miles)
Lmuma Creek to Roza (1.5-2 hours, 6.8 miles)
Umtanum Creek to Roza (3 hours, 10.9 miles)
Bighorn Campground to Roza (5-6 hours, 16.1 miles)
Last place to take out: The Roza Diversion Dam, which is the last spot for all nonmotorized boats/watercraft to get out. If you go beyond this point you will run into the dam.
Best time to go floating: From June through September, when the weather is hot.
Where to get a tube: A number of area companies rent sturdy inner tubes or rafts, including Red’s Fly Shop (Ellensburg, 14706 State Route 821; raft rental for two-three occupants, $99) and Rill Adventures (no storefront location; reserve online, rilladventures.com; tubes, $25/person; four-man raft, $125). Or buy one at a store that sells outdoor gear.
Supplies: Bring an air pump for your inner tube; a good investment is an electric pump that can be clipped to a car battery. Attach an extra tube or raft to your own (or someone else’s in your party) for stowing supplies such as food, beverage containers, a dry bag, patch kit, an oar and bungee cords to connect tubes/rafts in your group. This will also serve as a repository for any garbage (don’t throw it in the river!).
Pro tips: Travel with two vehicles. Park the one with tubes and supplies at your launch point, and the other at the takeout point. Most locations have parking, but some require recreational passes, such as the Discover Pass.
Need refreshment? The Canyon River Ranch, a lodge about midpoint into the float route, is home of the Canyon River Grill (509.933.2309) and is a great place to stop for a meal.
Follow Us
A Lighthouse Stay on Bellingham Bay
Hotel Bellwether’s refreshed waterfront stay, dapper lobby dog, and scenic route north turn the short drive from Seattle into a real getaway.
The first sign that Bellingham was going to feel farther away than it is came in Edison, over a rich, flaky pastry. Earlier this spring, I was invited to stay at Hotel Bellwether, and my friend and I headed north from Seattle, a roughly 90-mile drive that usually takes about an hour and a half…
Five Lesser-Known Washington State Parks for Spring and Summer
From Hood Canal beaches to Blue Mountain wildflowers, these quieter parks give warmer weekends some breathing room.
As the outdoor season gets going, many of us, myself included, tend to gravitate toward Washington’s national parks and a handful of the state’s most popular trails. There’s no arguing that they’re pretty spectacular. However, we also know that summer crowds are an issue and detract from the very reason we went in the first…
The Warmest Welcome: Why You Should Visit the Tri-Cities This Year
Just a few hours away from Seattle, this robust community offers great wine, a budding food scene, and more than 300 days of sun.
There is a point, when I’m traveling along Interstate 82 (I-82), somewhere around Exit 26, when I usually notice a shift in the light—especially in the wintertime. Coming out from the pass and heading south to leave the flat, cloud-shrouded gray of Western Washington behind, I feel a burst of happiness at the blue skies…
Paint Check: Select Alaska Airlines Planes Get a Fresh Look
The local aviation company debuts a bold Aurora Borealis-inspired livery as it expands internationally.
At the beginning of the year, Alaska Airlines unveiled its new global livery: a bold design inspired by the Aurora Borealis. Painted in a palette of deep blues and shimmering emerald greens, the sleek look is a nod to Alaska Airlines’ continued addition of international destinations, which will expand to London, Rome, and Reykjavik by…