Yakima River Canyon Scenic Byway
Yakima River Canyon Scenic Byway is a State Scenic Byway in Washington. Within Washington it covers roughly 40 miles. The map below shows its route. Use “Plan a drive” to open it in the Road Sorties route planner — already routing along Yakima River Canyon Scenic Byway with scenic roads turned on, ready to add your own stops.
State Route 821 follows the Yakima River through a basalt-walled canyon between Ellensburg and Yakima, a quiet alternative to the parallel interstate. The river is a noted blue-ribbon trout fishery and a popular summer float, with bighorn sheep often visible on the canyon slopes. The dry, rimrock scenery is classic eastern Washington.
- Yakima River canyon
- blue-ribbon trout fishing
- summer floating
- bighorn sheep
- SR-821
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What is a State Scenic Byway?
State Scenic Byways are roads a state has formally recognized for their scenic, natural, historic or cultural value — each state's own curated collection of drives worth taking slowly.