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Day Trippin' › Washington › From Yakima

Day trips from Yakima

Yakima sits in sunny orchard and wine country, with Mount Rainier's quiet east side, the Columbia Gorge and the Tri-Cities wineries all a morning's drive away. The best day trips from Yakima, by drive time.

80 places within a 3-hour drive, by real roads.

10 day trips from Yakima

  1. Toppenish murals 27 min southeast
  2. Ellensburg 46 min north
  3. Prosser 59 min southeast
  4. Ginkgo Petrified Forest State Park 1 hr 8 min northeast
  5. Maryhill Stonehenge 1 hr 55 min south
  6. Peshastin Pinnacles State Park 1 hr 55 min north
  7. Leavenworth 1 hr 58 min north
  8. Walla Walla 2 hr 32 min east
  9. Dry Falls 2 hr 42 min northeast
  10. Hood River and the Fruit Loop 2 hr 43 min southwest

Within an hour from Yakima 3 spots

Town · 27 min southeast

Toppenish murals

Dozens of outdoor murals of the town's history.

  • 1-2 hrs · Easy
  • Year-round
  • No pass or fee needed

Town · 46 min north

Ellensburg

A western college town with a historic downtown and the Labor Day rodeo.

  • 2-3 hrs · Easy
  • Year-round
  • No pass or fee needed

Town · 59 min southeast

Prosser

Wine village tasting rooms and a big hot air balloon rally in fall.

  • Half day · Easy
  • Year-round
  • Tasting fees

1 to 2 hours from Yakima 23 spots

Historic site · 1 hr 55 min south

Maryhill Stonehenge

A full-size concrete Stonehenge built as a WWI memorial.

  • 30 min · Easy
  • Year-round
  • No pass or fee needed

Town · 1 hr 58 min north

Leavenworth

A Bavarian-style village with river walks and mountain views.

  • Half day · Easy
  • Year-round
  • Paid parking

State park · 1 hr 8 min northeast

Ginkgo Petrified Forest State Park

Petrified logs and a view over the Columbia at Vantage.

  • 1-2 hrs · Easy
  • Year-round
  • Discover Pass

State park · 1 hr 55 min north

Peshastin Pinnacles State Park

Sandstone spires with a short trail and orchard views.

  • 1-2 hrs · Moderate
  • Spring-fall
  • Discover Pass

Lake · 1 hr 35 min west

Tipsoo Lake

A small lake at Chinook Pass with Rainier reflections and wildflowers.

  • 1 hr · Easy
  • July-September
  • NPS entrance fee

Waterfall · 1 hr 47 min northwest

Franklin Falls

A short trail to a 70-foot falls near Snoqualmie Pass.

  • 1-1.5 hrs · Easy
  • Summer-fall; winter is icy
  • NW Forest Pass

Winery · 1 hr 18 min southeast

Red Mountain wineries

A small, famous wine area of big reds near Benton City.

  • Half day · Easy
  • Year-round
  • Tasting fees

Historic site · 1 hr 8 min southwest

Fort Simcoe

Restored 1850s army post buildings under old oaks.

  • 1-2 hrs · Easy
  • April 1 to September 30
  • Discover Pass

See all 23 on the map

2 to 3 hours from Yakima 54 spots

Town · 2 hr 32 min east

Walla Walla

A tree-lined downtown with more than 100 wineries nearby.

  • Half day · Easy
  • Year-round
  • Tasting fees

Waterfall · 2 hr 42 min northeast

Dry Falls

A cliff once home to a waterfall five times wider than Niagara, from the Ice Age floods.

  • 1-2 hrs · Easy
  • Year-round
  • Discover Pass at some lots

Farm · 2 hr 43 min southwest

Hood River and the Fruit Loop

Orchards, farm stands, cideries and wineries with Mount Hood in view.

  • Half day · Easy
  • Spring blossoms through fall harvest
  • No pass or fee needed

Waterfall · 2 hr 56 min east

Palouse Falls

A 198-foot falls into a deep basalt canyon, the state's official waterfall.

  • 1-2 hrs · Easy
  • Spring best
  • Discover Pass

Town · 2 hr 59 min north

Chelan

A lakefront town with wineries, beaches and a riverwalk.

  • Half day · Easy
  • Year-round
  • No pass or fee needed

Waterfall · 2 hr 19 min northwest

Snoqualmie Falls

A 268-foot falls with an overlook a short walk from the parking lot.

  • 1 hr · Easy
  • Year-round
  • Free upper lot (cross the sky bridge); the lower lot charges for parking

Viewpoint · 2 hr 24 min west

Sunrise

The highest point you can drive to in the park, with huge views of the mountain.

  • Half day · Easy to moderate
  • July-September
  • NPS entrance fee

Viewpoint · 2 hr 34 min west

Paradise and the Skyline Trail

Wildflower meadows and glaciers on Mount Rainier's south side, with a visitor center.

  • Half day · Easy to hard
  • July-Sept flowers; winter snowplay
  • NPS entrance fee

See all 54 on the map

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Drive times are by road on a typical day from ZIP 98901 (OpenStreetMap data with the OSRM route planner). Facts checked against official sites; passes and hours change, so check before you go.