Print it. Bag it. Bring it.Phones die, screens crack, and most of this water has no signal. Print this map, fold it into a zip-top bag or dry bag with your license, and you have a backup your electronics can’t give you. Every marker is numbered so you can say exactly where you are.
| # | Point | Type | Lat, Lon | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lake Easton State Park Campground Washington State Parks | Campsite | 47.24217, -121.18405 | |
| 2 | Lavender Lake Access Area Two ramps mapped here | Access / boat ramp | 47.21912, -121.12849 | Upper-river access between Easton and South Cle Elum. |
| 3 | Three Bridges Upper river access | Access / boat ramp | 47.18589, -121.04369 | |
| 4 | Cle Elum Town on the upper river | Point of interest | 47.19524, -120.94006 | Fuel, lodging and shuttles; the OSM point is the town boundary centre, not a river access. |
| 5 | Hudson Ponds Access Upper river access | Access / boat ramp | 47.18587, -120.92141 | |
| 6 | Eagle Valley Campground | Campsite | 47.16772, -120.88250 | |
| 7 | Thrall Water Access Site Head of the Yakima Canyon, at Ringer Loop | Access / boat ramp | 46.92750, -120.51696 | |
| 8 | Bighorn Campground BLM - Yakima Canyon | Campsite | 46.89532, -120.50265 | |
| 9 | USGS 12484500 Yakima River at Umtanum Real-time flow and stage | USGS gauge | 46.86263, -120.48007 | Check the reading before you commit to a float; releases and runoff move this river fast. |
| 10 | Umtanum Recreation Site boat launch BLM | Access / boat ramp | 46.85567, -120.48368 | |
| 11 | Umtanum Campground BLM | Campsite | 46.85480, -120.48275 | |
| 12 | Lmuma Creek Recreation Site BLM - Yakima Canyon | Campsite | 46.81413, -120.45016 | |
| 13 | Mile Post 10 Boat Launch BLM - Canyon Road milepost | Access / boat ramp | 46.79808, -120.46316 | |
| 14 | Big Pines boat launch OSM: unnamed slipway at Big Pines | Access / boat ramp | 46.79254, -120.45720 | |
| 15 | Big Pines Campground BLM - Yakima Canyon | Campsite | 46.79304, -120.45700 | |
| 16 | Mile Post 8 Boat Launch BLM - Canyon Road milepost | Access / boat ramp | 46.77554, -120.45296 | |
| 17 | Roza Recreation Site boat launch BLM | Access / boat ramp | 46.76387, -120.45663 | |
| 18 | Roza Recreation Site Campground BLM | Campsite | 46.76473, -120.45721 | |
| 19 | Roza Diversion Dam Irrigation diversion | Dam / hazard | 46.75039, -120.46619 | Foot of the canyon float - get off the water above the dam. |
| 20 | Yakima Sportsman State Park Campground Washington State Parks | Campsite | 46.58958, -120.45823 |
Gauge: USGS 12484500 — Yakima River at Umtanum, WA. Live flow on the web page.
Species: Bull Trout, Chinook Salmon, Mountain Whitefish, Rainbow Trout, Westslope Cutthroat Trout
Regulations: wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/regulations
Emergency: call 911 and give the number of the nearest point on this map plus its coordinates.
Cle Elum and South Cle Elum: upper river access and boat launches.
Thorp Highway and Irene Rinehart Riverfront Park: valley accesses above Ellensburg.
Ringer Loop: the standard canyon put-in on Highway 821.
Umtanum Recreation Area: canyon access at the gauge, with a footbridge and campground.
Big Pines and Lmuma Creek: BLM canyon campgrounds with boat and bank access.
Roza Dam: the bottom of the canyon float; take out above the dam.
Year-round catch and release on the upper river and canyon; check current selective gear rules.
March through May: skwalas and March browns, moderate flows, the first good dry fly fishing.
June through August: high irrigation flows, hopper season along the banks, best early and late.
September through November: the flip-flop drops the river, October caddis and fall olives, the best month of the ye