Umtanum Creek Canyon — Saturday, Nov. 9, 2024

I saw Mytho-man’s photos a few days ago and knew I had to check out this trail.
The hiker guide needs to be updated regarding the required parking pass. You either need an America the Beautiful pass/Golden Age pass or pay the day fee for a BLM pass which you can do on site. Discover Pass won’t do it. Vault toilets are clean and well stocked.
Crossing the Yakima River suspension bridge is a good way to start the hike. Lots of fishermen in the river. We referred to the WTA guide a number of times which helped us stay on track. Sometimes, what looks like the main trail, is not the right way to go. The first creek crossing was easy. My husband crossed on a log and I had more confidence in my waterproof boots so I just stepped across on a wet rock. We both stayed dry.
This trail is so easy to walk on it’s hard to believe there is any elevation change at all. There are times when the plants encroach on the trail but nothing difficult. The second creek crossing had a number of trees to cross on. They looked like they suffered fire and beaver damage. I saw a little fish here. Eventually we came to a point where a tree blocked the trail and the plants seemed to take over. Maybe 2.5 miles in. We decided to turn around and find a lunch spot.
We saw a number of deer high up on the ridge and saw scat from coyotes, mice, deer, elk and bighorn sheep.
Wow, what a great trail. Clean and peaceful. Not a single piece of trash. It sounds like there is a shooting range somewhere out there. While we ate our lunch, the silence was broken by gunshots far in the distance.