5 Fun Things To Do In Yakima
If you are looking for fun things to do in Yakima we have you covered with a list of the five most enjoyable ways to spend a day or two in this agricultural city which likes to call itself the ‘Palm Springs of Washington’.
Yakima is a fruit producing city built upon fertile soil which defines its culture and community. Many of the attractions and things to do in the area are centered around this agricultural activity so its no wonder that tourists love visiting to sample the local fare and to learn about its food offerings.
There are plenty of great restaurants to choose from and really good burger establishments too. And if you need recommendations for where to stay be sure to take a look at these top-rated hotels in Yakima.
5 Fun Things To Do In Yakima
Go Wine Tasting
Eastern Washington is home to the states’ wine region with Yakima probably being the top contender for having the most and best wineries.
Yakima is home to a diverse mix of urban and rural wineries for you to choose from. Whether you want to taste your way through downtown Yakima’s tasting rooms or head out to a local winery to take in the sights and high desert landscape you won’t be disappointed.
Bonair Winery have been producing their wine in Yakima’s Rattlesnake Hill area since 1985 and you can sample the fruits of their labor from a gorgeous wrap around porch that has stunning views of Cowiche Canyon. Their offerings include Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Riesling, Merlot, and Pinot Noir.
Another favorite is Freehand Cellars who offer delicious flatbread pizza on the menu alongside the wine inside an architecturally beautiful building. This winery is perched on a hill overlooking the Yakima Valley with spaces that have been designed to take advantage of the views of the agricultural valley to the south and east with Mt. Adams perfectly framed to the west.
Visit The Yakima Arboretum
The Yakima Area Arboretum is more than 40 acres of manicured green space and gardens. A wide assortment of trees thrive at the arboretum and many of the plant species spread throughout the property have labels to help you identify them.
This living museum of over 1000 species of trees and plants will delight visitors with its beautiful gardens and peaceful setting. There is also an interpretive center and gift shop.
Fun things to do here include taking a nature walk, birdwatching, or participating in a gardening class. The Yakima Area Arboretum is a non-profit organization and its purpose is to educate and inspire an appreciation of native and adapted non-native plants in an atmosphere of beauty and relaxation.
The arboretum is open from dawn to dusk 7 days a week and admission is free.
Explore The Yakima Valley Museum
Yakima Valley Museum is a 65,000 square foot museum that showcases a variety of exhibits related to the region’s natural and cultural history with a focus on its indigenous populations including pioneer life. The museum offers several permanent exhibits for you to explore.
The Miocene Forest features 15 million year old trees that were dug out of a ridge in the Yakima Valley and rebuilt inside the museum. You can take a glimpse of prehistoric Yakima by examining the polished cross-sections of these petrified hardwoods. There is also a fascinating collection of fossil bones that existed in the same ancient era that includes bones from a prehistoric horse (Equus simplicidens), camel (megatylopus), an ancestor of the sabre-tooth tiger (pseudaelurus), a giant ground sloth (megalonyx), and a strange pig-like beast with no living descendants (oreodont).
Other fun things to do here include seeing the new bee exhibit which features a live beehive! The bees can come and go through a clear plexiglass tube connecting the hive to the outdoors. A magnifying glass allows you to take a close peek inside the glass-paneled hive. Kids will particularly enjoy this exhibit.
Visit Central Washington Agricultural Museum
The Central Washington Agricultural Museum is the largest museum of its kind in the Pacific Northwest. It is home to more than 150 antique tractors, over 1000 pieces of historic machinery, and acres of exhibits that showcase farm life in Washington state over the past 100 years.
Exhibits like The Farm Equipment Yard have multitudes of horse drawn equipment, early mechanical farm machinery, antique tractors, and various other farm equipment. There is also a vintage gas station, a Northern Pacific Railroad boxcar, a 1908 homestead, and many other interesting displays and artifacts.
The most enjoyable activity here though (for the children anyway) is the kiddie train which seems like a lot of fun for the little ones.
Ski or Snowboard At White Pass
If you are visiting Yakima in the winter and looking for a fun outdoor activity, head out to White Pass for a day of skiing or snowboarding.
The White Pass Ski Area is located less than an hours drive from Yakima and is the preferred ski resort for Eastern Washington folk. White Pass has 1,500 acres of terrain for skiers and riders of every ability. Not only that, but you might even catch a glimpse of Mt Rainier from the mountain top on a clear day.
If you prefer cross-country skiing you will be happy to know they have a Nordic center with groomed trails for you to enjoy. The kids will have hours of fun on the tubing hill which operates on weekends and holidays.
Of course if you can’t be here for winter you can always visit in the summer when you can hike or mountain bike instead.
