Irene Rinehart Riverfront Park
Park
94 acres2.1 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Photo: Bobak Ha'Eri · CC BY 3.0AOutdoors
Outdoors in Ellensburg
Ellensburg has 7.8 miles of mapped trails, 0.9 for every square mile of land
9% of Ellensburg’s land is conserved, about 535 acres. The biggest trail networks: Irene Rinehart Riverfront Park (2.1 mi), Rotary Park (1.7 mi). 90% of residents live within a half mile of a park.
Ahead of 87% of U.S. towns · #70 of 285 in Washington. What drives it
Conserved land
9%
535 acres · of 8.8 sq mi of land
Trails
7.8 mi
0.9 per sq mi of land
Park land
545 ac
26 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
90%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
8.0 mi
5.2 mi lanes · 2.7 mi paths
Highest peak
1,631 ft
Craigs Hill
Lakes & rivers
3
1 boat launch
What kind of outdoors town is Ellensburg?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Ellensburg have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Ellensburg is ahead of 87% of U.S. towns, #70 of 285 in Washington. All four inputs are above most U.S. towns; trail miles rank highest, park acres per resident lowest.
A
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Ellensburg’s overall grade.
Conserved land9% of the land · typical WA town 4% · U.S. 4%A−Trails0.9 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (8 mi) · WA 0.8 · U.S. 0.4A−Park land26 acres of park per 1,000 residents (545 acres) · WA 11 · U.S. 13B+Parks close to home90% of residents within a half mile of a park · WA 92% · U.S. 72%B+
All U.S. towns we grade (21,298)Ahead of 87%
LessMore
Washington towns of 2,500+ (285)Ahead of 76%
How sure. Graded on any three of the four inputs instead, the letter would range from A− to A. Trails and many small parks come from OpenStreetMap, mapped by volunteers, so coverage varies from town to town; the half mile is a straight line from each census block, so a river or highway in the way isn’t counted against it.
PAD-US, OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors), Census 2025 Gazetteer and 2020 blocks; details in Sources below. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →
The map
Conserved land, trails & bike routes
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it.
Easements protect land from building but are usually private.© OpenStreetMap contributors · USGS PAD-US
Places to walk
Pick a walk
The longest trail network is Irene Rinehart Riverfront Park, with 2.1 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
McElroy Park
Park
6 acres0.4 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
North Alder Street Park
Park
5 acres0.3 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
All 16 parks & preserves
Irene Rinehart Riverfront Park94 acres · 2.1 mi of trail
DirectionsRotary Park134 acres · 1.7 mi of trail
DirectionsMcElroy Park6 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
North Alder Street Park5 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
Palouse to Cascades State Park27 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsWest Ellensburg Park6 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsMattoon Lake Public Access3 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife
DirectionsMountain View Park8 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsCraig Hill Triangles2 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsKiwanis Park4 acres
DirectionsVeteran’s Memorial Park4 acres
DirectionsBMX Track4 acres
DirectionsReed Park2 acres
DirectionsCWU South Park1 acres
DirectionsCatherine Park1 acres
DirectionsKleinberg Park North1 acres
DirectionsWho protects it
535 conserved acres
9% of Ellensburg’s land. Who manages Ellensburg’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Town or city648 ac
State parks23 ac
County3 ac
State fish & wildlife2 ac
Other state land1 ac
Local Other or Unknown · 418 acLocal Park · 226 acState Park · 23 acLocal Recreation Area · 4 acLocal Conservation Area · 3 ac
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Loth49 Local Other or Unknown | Town or city | 418 | Open |
| Irene Rinehart Riverfront Park Local Park | Town or city | 97 | Open |
| Rotary Park Local Park | Town or city | 93 | Open |
| Iron Horse State Park | State parks | 23 | Open |
| Mountain View Park Local Park | Town or city | 8 | Open |
| Mcelroy Park Local Park | Town or city | 7 | Open |
| West Ellensburg Park Local Park | Town or city | 6 | Open |
| North Alder Street Park Local Park | Town or city | 5 | Open |
| BMX Track Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 4 | Open |
| Kiwanis Park Local Park | Town or city | 3 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
28 places to go in Ellensburg
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Public pools in Ellensburg
CWU Aquatics Facility
DirectionsPlaygrounds in Ellensburg
18 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Dog parks in Ellensburg
IRRP Off Leash AreaIn Irene Rinehart Riverfront Park
DirectionsRotary Park Off-Leash Dog AreaIn Rotary Park
DirectionsPlus 1 dog park without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Boat launches in Ellensburg
1 boat launch without a name on the map.
Fishing spots in Ellensburg
People's PondIn Irene Rinehart Riverfront Park
DirectionsPeaks in Ellensburg
Craigs Hill1,631 ft elevation
DirectionsCampgrounds in Ellensburg
Kittatas County Fair Campgroundtitas Valley Event Center
DirectionsDisc golf in Ellensburg
Ellensburg Disc Golf CourseIn Irene Rinehart Riverfront Park
DirectionsCommunity gardens in Ellensburg
Wildcat Neighborhood Community Garden
DirectionsTrails & water
3 lakes & rivers
Lakes & rivers tap for directions
Biking & sports
8.0 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
5.2 mi
painted or protected bike lanes
2.7 mi
off-road bike paths
0.1 mi
shoulders & shared lanes
Courts & fields
14Baseball
10Basketball
9Soccer
8Tennis
4Pickleball
4Softball
2Beach volleyball
1Skate park
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →8 places on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 2 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
Washington State Normal School BuildingBuilding · listed 1976
About itDowntown Ellensburg Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 1977
About itRamsay HouseBuilding · listed 1986
About itFirst Railroad Addition Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 1987
About itNorthern Pacific Railway Passenger DepotBuilding · listed 1991
About itShoudy HouseBuilding · listed 1992
About itDr. Paschal and Agnes Gray HouseBuilding · listed 1997
About itKittitas County FairgroundsDistrict · listed 1999
About itWhen to get out
The best walking months in Ellensburg: April to June, August and September
NOAA’s 1991–2020 normals for the town and the daylight at its latitude. Outlined months have long days, highs of 59 to 86 °F and little rain for the place.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daylight (h) | 8.9 | 10.2 | 11.8 | 13.5 | 15.0 | 15.9 | 15.5 | 14.2 | 12.5 | 10.8 | 9.3 | 8.5 |
| High (°F) | 37 | 44 | 53 | 61 | 71 | 77 | 86 | 86 | 77 | 62 | 46 | 36 |
| Rain (in) | 1.5 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 0.8 | 0.9 | 0.6 | 0.3 | 0.2 | 0.4 | 1.1 | 1.4 | 1.7 |
August is the driest month (0.2 in) and July the warmest (highs of 86 °F). 1.7 inches fall in December, the wettest month. Summer highs reach 86 °F, too hot for the outline. The climate in Ellensburg →
Questions about parks and trails in Ellensburg
Where can I hike in Ellensburg?
The longest trail networks: Irene Rinehart Riverfront Park, 2.1 miles; Rotary Park, 1.7 miles; McElroy Park, 0.4 miles; North Alder Street Park, 0.3 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Ellensburg is conserved land?
9% of its land, against a typical 4% for a Washington town and 4% nationally (PAD-US). Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors: easements are usually private land.
Are dogs allowed on Ellensburg’s trails?
Irene Rinehart Riverfront Park and Rotary Park don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Ellensburg?
8.0 miles of bike routes are on the map: 5.2 of painted or protected lanes, 2.7 of off-road paths and 0.1 of shoulders and shared lanes.
Is there public land near Ellensburg?
36,910 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Ellensburg or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 578 of them inside the city line.
How much outdoors does Ellensburg have?
Ahead of 87% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #70 of 285 in Washington. The grade combines the share of land that is conserved, miles of mapped trail per square mile of land, park acres per 1,000 residents and the share of residents within a half mile of a park. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.
Trail talk
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from Ellensburg neighbors.
Share a tip
Sources
Where this page comes from
Conserved and public land: USGS Protected Areas Database of the United States (PAD-US), service updated July 2026. Parks, trails, playgrounds, beaches and other places: OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL), map data as of 2026-10-28. Land and water area: Census 2025 Gazetteer. Residents near a park: 2020 Census blocks. National Register: National Park Service. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →