Getting Oriented

The Yakima River Valley encompasses a region of south-central Washington that starts just east of Snoqualmie Pass in the Kittitas Valley. It includes the forested eastern slopes and the foothills of the Central Cascades, from Chinook and White Pass all the way down through the Yakima Valley near Benton City. Two interstates meet in Ellensburg. Interstate 90 links Seattle to Cle Elum and Ellensburg before heading east toward Spokane. Interstate 82 branches south off Interstate 90 just east of Ellensburg, and runs through the Yakima Valley to the so-called Tri-Cities (Richland, Pasco, and Kennewick). U.S. 97 is the primary link from Ellensburg north (Wenatchee, Canada's Okanagan Valley) and from Yakima south toward central Oregon.

• Northern Yakima River Valley. Just 80 miles from Seattle over the Cascade Mountains, the historic mining towns of Roslyn and Cle Elum offer quaint shops and one very plush resort. Golf, fishing, hiking, biking, cross-country skiing, and more are readily available in this region. As you follow the Yakima River down past Ellensburg to Yakima, you'll see how irrigation turns a virtual desert into one of the most agriculturally rich regions in the nation. Yakima is the shopping and entertainment hub of the region.
• Southern Yakima River Valley. From Yakima, which touts itself as the gateway to wine country, visitors can choose from more than 100 wineries, as well as fresh fruits and vegetables of all kinds. The area is one of the most agriculturally diverse in the country, with some outstanding restaurants. History is rich here as well. The Yakama Indian Reservation occupies much of the land, and the history of its people can be seen in several museums around the region, including the museum at the Yakama Nation Cultural Center in Toppenish.