Places to Explore

• Benton City

  The Yakima River zigzags north, making a giant bend around Red Mountain and the West Richland district before pouring into the Columbia River. Benton City—which, with a mere 3,000 residents, is hardly... (more)

• Cle Elum

  A former railroad, coal, and logging town, Cle Elum (pronounced "klee ell-um") now caters to travelers stopping for a breath of air before or after tackling Snoqualmie Pass.... (more)

• Ellensburg

  This university and college town is one of the state's friendliest and most easygoing places. "Modern" Ellensburg had its origin in a July 4 fire that engulfed the original city in 1889. Almost overnight... (more)

• Prosser

  On the south bank of the Yakima River, Prosser feels like small-town America of the 1950s. The seat of Benton County since 1905, it has a 1926 courthouse and a charming museum in City Park. In 2005, Prosser's... (more)

• Sunnyside

  The largest community in the lower Yakima Valley and the hometown of astronaut Bonnie Dunbar, Sunnyside runs along the sunny southern slopes of the Rattlesnake Hills.... (more)

• Toppenish

  An intriguing small town with a rustic Old West sensibility, Toppenish—which lies within the Yakama Indian Reservation—blends history and culture, art and agriculture. You can't miss the 70... (more)

• Yakima

  The gateway to Washington wine country is sunny Yakima (pronounced yak-imah), with about 72,000 people. Spread along the west bank of the Yakima River just south of its confluence with the Naches, it's... (more)

• Zillah

  The south-facing slopes above Zillah, a tiny town named after the daughter of a railroad manager, are covered with orchards and vineyards. Several wineries are in or near the community; more are near Granger... (more)