Yakima Area Arboretum
Park
67 acres2 mi of trail
Noel Pathway
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Photo: Quintin Soloviev · CC BY 4.0B−Outdoors
Outdoors in Yakima
Yakima has 9.5 miles of mapped trails, 0.3 for every square mile of land
The biggest trail networks: Yakima Area Arboretum (2 mi), Sarg Hubbard Park (1.2 mi), Kiwanis Park (0.6 mi). 85% of residents live within a half mile of a park. 698 acres are parks and preserves, 7.2 per 1,000 residents.
Ahead of 53% of U.S. towns · #203 of 285 in Washington. What drives it
Conserved land
3%
576 acres · of 28.1 sq mi of land
Trails
9.5 mi
0.3 per sq mi of land
Park land
698 ac
7.2 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
85%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
18 mi
3.7 mi lanes · 15 mi paths
Lakes & rivers
9
What kind of outdoors town is Yakima?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Yakima have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Yakima is ahead of 53% of U.S. towns, #203 of 285 in Washington. The share of residents near a park holds the grade up; park acres per resident pull it down.
B−
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Yakima’s overall grade.
Conserved land3% of the land · typical WA town 4% · U.S. 4%B−Trails0.3 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (10 mi) · WA 0.8 · U.S. 0.4B−Park land7.2 acres of park per 1,000 residents (698 acres) · WA 11 · U.S. 13C+Parks close to home85% 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 53%
LessMore
Washington towns of 2,500+ (285)Ahead of 29%
How sure. Graded on any three of the four inputs instead, the letter would range from B− to B. 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 Yakima Area Arboretum, with 2 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Kiwanis Park
Managed by Yakima Parks & Recreation
35 acres0.6 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
West Valley Community Park
Managed by Yakima Parks & Recreation
23 acres0.4 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
All 30 parks & preserves
Yakima Area Arboretum67 acres · 2 mi of trail
DirectionsSarg Hubbard Park23 acres · 1.2 mi of trail
DirectionsKiwanis Park35 acres · 0.6 mi of trail · Yakima Parks & Recreation
DirectionsWest Valley Community Park23 acres · 0.4 mi of trail · Yakima Parks & Recreation
DirectionsState Fair Park4 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
DirectionsRandall Park31 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · Yakima Parks & Recreation
DirectionsRotary Lake Water Access28 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife
Lions Park12 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · Yakima Parks & Recreation
DirectionsMartin Luther King Jr. Park3 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · Yakima Parks & Recreation
Franklin Park19 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Yakima Parks & Recreation
DirectionsEmil Kissel Park17 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Yakima Parks & Recreation
Elks Memorial Park12 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Yakima Parks & Recreation
DirectionsLarson Park5 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Yakima Parks & Recreation
DirectionsSoutheast Community Park4 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Yakima Parks & Recreation
McGuinness Park2 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Yakima Parks & Recreation
Chesterley Park32 acres · Yakima Parks & Recreation
DirectionsYakima Sportsman State Park16 acres · Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission
Lake Myron Water Access16 acres · Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife
DirectionsGilbert Park11 acres · Yakima Parks & Recreation
DirectionsGardner Park9 acres · Yakima Parks & Recreation
DirectionsGailleon Park5 acres
DirectionsA.C. Davis Track4 acres
Miller Park3 acres · Yakima Parks & Recreation
DirectionsMilroy Park3 acres · Yakima Parks & Recreation
DirectionsRaymond Park2 acres · City of Yakima
Oak Park1 acres
DirectionsSummitview Park1 acres · Yakima Parks & Recreation
Portia Park1 acres · City of Yakima
South 2nd Street Park1 acres · Yakima Parks & Recreation
DirectionsCherry Park1 acres · Yakima Parks & Recreation
Who protects it
576 conserved acres
3% of Yakima’s land. Who manages Yakima’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Town or city662 ac
State parks15 ac
County6 ac
Not recorded4 ac
Local Park · 418 acLocal Other or Unknown · 189 acLocal Recreation Area · 61 acState Park · 15 acState Recreation Area · 4 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. Public access isn’t recorded for 1 of 34 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Loth181 Local Other or Unknown | Town or city | 183 | Open |
| Sozo Sports Complex Local Park | Town or city | 120 | Open |
| Central Washington Fairgrounds Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 61 | Open |
| Kiwanis Park Local Park | Town or city | 43 | Open |
| Yakima Area Arboretum Local Park | Town or city | 37 | Open |
| Randall Park Local Park | Town or city | 36 | Open |
| Chesterley Park Local Park | Town or city | 31 | Open |
| West Valley Community Park Local Park | Town or city | 27 | Open |
| Franklin Park Local Park | Town or city | 16 | Open |
| Yakima Sportsman State Park | State parks | 15 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
69 places to go in Yakima
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Public pools in Yakima
Franklin PoolIn Franklin Park
DirectionsPlaygrounds in Yakima
65 playgrounds are on OpenStreetMap in all; the list shows named ones from the first 30.
Dog parks in Yakima
Randall Dog Park
DirectionsFishing spots in Yakima
Rotary LakeIn Rotary Lake Water Access
DirectionsScenic views in Yakima
1 scenic view without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Trails & water
1 named trail and 9 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Unpaved · 0.7 mi
Noel Pathway0.4 mi
Biking & sports
18 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
3.7 mi
painted or protected bike lanes
15 mi
off-road bike paths
Courts & fields
62Soccer
46Tennis
35Baseball
31Basketball
24Pickleball
6Football
3Beach volleyball
2Skate park
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →41 places on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 1 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
Capitol TheatreBuilding · listed 1973
About itCarbonneau MansionBuilding · listed 1976
About itDonald HouseBuilding · listed 1976
About itU. S. Post Office and CourthouseBuilding · listed 1979
About itLund BuildingBuilding · listed 1983
About itA. E. Larson BuildingBuilding · listed 1984
About itH. M. Gilbert HouseBuilding · listed 1985
About itOld North Yakima Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 1986
About itA. E. Howard HouseBuilding · listed 1987
About itCarmichael-Loudon HouseBuilding · listed 1987
About itCharles Wilcox HouseBuilding · listed 1987
About itDr. Edmond West HouseBuilding · listed 1987
About it29 more on the History page.
When to get out
The best walking months in Yakima: April to June 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) | 9.0 | 10.2 | 11.8 | 13.5 | 15.0 | 15.8 | 15.5 | 14.2 | 12.5 | 10.8 | 9.3 | 8.6 |
| High (°F) | 39 | 46 | 56 | 64 | 73 | 80 | 89 | 88 | 79 | 64 | 49 | 38 |
| Rain (in) | 1.3 | 1.0 | 0.8 | 0.6 | 0.7 | 0.5 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.3 | 0.8 | 1.1 | 1.7 |
August is the driest month (0.2 in) and July the warmest (highs of 89 °F). 1.7 inches fall in December, the wettest month. Summer highs reach 89 °F, too hot for the outline. The climate in Yakima →
Next door
Yakima and its neighbors
Yakima has the second most mapped trails of the 5 towns around it. Tap a town to see its outdoors.
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yakima | 3% | 0.3 | 7 | 85% | B− |
| Union Gap | 5% | 0.3 | 37 | 85% | B+ |
| Terrace Heights | 4% | 1.4 | 25 | 41% | B+ |
| Summitview | 2% | 1.2 | 5 | 10% | C+ |
| Selah | 3% | 0.7 | 14 | 92% | B+ |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Yakima
Where can I hike in Yakima?
The longest trail networks: Yakima Area Arboretum, 2 miles; Sarg Hubbard Park, 1.2 miles; Kiwanis Park, 0.6 miles; West Valley Community Park, 0.4 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Yakima is conserved land?
3% 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 Yakima’s trails?
Yakima Area Arboretum and Sarg Hubbard Park don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Yakima?
18 miles of bike routes are on the map: 3.7 of painted or protected lanes and 15 of off-road paths.
Is there public land near Yakima?
20,329 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Yakima or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 698 of them inside the city line.
How much outdoors does Yakima have?
Ahead of 53% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #203 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 Yakima 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 →