Go if
You want riverside camping with fishing and wildlife viewing in a quiet canyon setting during shoulder season.
Price
$15/night
Booking
Reservable
Sites
Varies
Season
Year-round
Cell
Unknown
Pets
Check Policy
Price
$15/night
Booking
Reservable
Sites
Varies
Season
Year-round
Cell
Unknown
Pets
Check Policy
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Learn more about alerts →Umtanum
48.1314, -103.2376
We'll monitor this campground and alert you the moment sites become available.
Free to start · paid plans add 2-min scans
256,000+ sites monitored · Email alerts to start; SMS and in-app with an account
Learn more about alerts →You want riverside camping with fishing and wildlife viewing in a quiet canyon setting during shoulder season.
You need hookups, showers, or prefer summer water recreation over fall fishing and birding.
Context for the broader area surrounding Umtanum , sourced from the federal Recreation.gov rec-area record. View official page →
<h2><b></b></h2> <p>The gentle Yakima River winds through rolling desert hills and basalt cliffs, some rising more than 2,000 feet, for 27 miles between Ellensburg and Yakima, Washington. The canyon offers excellent wildlife watching, fishing for Blue Ribbon trout, family-friendly rafting, and camping. The canyon's crevices and cliffs make a perfect home for the densest concentration of nesting hawks, eagles, and falcons in the state. The BLM manages over 9,000 acres in the Yakima River Canyon area, and the Yakima River State Scenic Byway provides access to BLM's four developed river access sites including Umtanum, Lmuma Creek, Big Pines, and Roza.</p><h2>Know Before You Go:</h2><ul><li>Open Season Yakima River Canyon Recreation Sites are open YEAR ROUND.</li><li>Four Campground and Day-Use Sites available, including Roza, Big Pines, Lmuma Creek, and Umtanum. </li><li>Fees - $15 overnight, $5 Day-Use </li><li>Campsite Reservations May 1 to September 30; first come, first serve October 1 to April 30. </li><li>No Drinking Water or hookups available. </li><li>Cellular Phone Coverage is limited in many areas of the Yakima River Canyon. </li></ul><h2>Point of Interest:</h2>Located just south of Ellensburg, the non-motorized trails at Ringer Road Trailhead offer visitors glimpses of the wildlife and birds that inhabit the riparian areas next to the Yakima River. <br><br><a href=" https://www.blm.gov/sites/blm.gov/files/documents/files/spo_yakimarivercan_brochure.pdf"> Yakima River Canyon Brochure</a> <br><br> <a href=" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jUGSS72O0p8 "> Explore Washington Recreation: Yakima River Canyon</a>
From Ellensburg, Washington, take Hwy 821 (Canyon Road) south into the Yakima River Canyon. Umtanum is located at milepost 16, Lmuma Creek is located at milepost 12, Big Pines is located at milepost 10 and Roza is located at milepost 7, a half mile above Roza dam and about 25 miles south of Ellensburg.
Fees - $15 overnight, $5 Day-Use
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Best season: fall. Fall offers the most comfortable weather and the quietest river access — daytime highs generally sit in the 60s–70s°F with crisp nights in the 30s–40s, ideal for fishing, hiking and wildlife viewing. River traffic drops from the summer peak, so floaters and anglers find less crowded water and better shoreline access, while migrating birds and raptors use the canyon making wildlife viewing excellent. Crowds and temperatures both ease, and shoreline / cliff-color contrasts make for excellent photo Peak months: September, October, May, April
Fall offers comfortable temps, fewer crowds, ideal for fishing, hiking and wildlife viewing.
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Umtanum offers overnight and day-use facilities including picnic tables, fire rings, vault toilets, nearby dumpsters, a non-motorized river put-in/takeout and a wooden footbridge that provides pedestrian access to the west side of the Yakima River. Reservations are accepted through recreation.gov; campsites are held only until 11:00 AM the day after checkout.
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