Discover Kittitas County
Accommodation in Kittitas County
Kittitas County combines wooded shores, wide-open landscapes, historic places, and diverse trails into a destination with many different faces. At Lake Easton, along the Yakima River, and in the region’s historic towns, you can give nature experiences and culture different emphasis. When searching for a vacation rental or vacation home, it therefore helps to first consider whether water, hiking, history, or convenient access should be the focus of your trip.
Lakes, Rivers, and Trails for Active Days
Lake Easton State Park is a wooded camping park covering 697 acres and offering 24,000 feet of freshwater access along the shore of Lake Easton. In summer, hiking, cycling, and water sports are possible there; in winter, skiing and snowshoeing are added to the options. The park also has a boat launch with a 20-foot dock. Motorboats are limited to 10 horsepower. Groups looking to combine different preferences will find a place here where the season has a clear impact on the activities available.
Ginkgo Petrified Forest State Park also has its own distinctive character. It is designated a National Natural Landmark and features hiking trails as well as interpretive offerings. The Trailside Museum and the Trees of Stone Interpretive Trail use signs to provide information about petrified wood. The trail passes among petrified tree trunks in their original setting; there are three miles of hiking trails in total. This makes it possible to combine a walk with a geological discovery without limiting the visit to a museum experience alone.
For longer outings, the Palouse to Cascades State Park Trail offers several perspectives. It is suitable for hiking, cycling, and horseback riding and follows sections of the historic railroad corridor of the Chicago-Milwaukee-St. Paul-Pacific Railroad, known as the “Milwaukee Road.” The corridor extends 251 miles from Cedar Falls near North Bend eastward to the Idaho border. The central section runs eastward through Ellensburg and across the Columbia River on the Beverly Bridge. In addition, the Manastash Ridge Trails system consists of a network of informal trails on state-managed lands and welcomes visitors from throughout the Pacific Northwest and beyond.
Cultural Experiences Between Agriculture and Mining
At Olmstead Place Historical State Park, the lives of settler families are as much a focus as the history of agriculture and farming equipment. The park includes the Altapes Interpretive Trail along Coleman Creek. In winter, cross-country skiing and snowshoeing are possible in the park’s fields. Those who do not want to focus their trip exclusively on nature trails can combine historical themes and physical activity here.
In Ellensburg, the Kittitas County Historical Museum introduces visitors to the region’s history. The Ellensburg Historic District complements this visit with art galleries, historic storefronts, and well-preserved 19th-century architecture. The Umtanum Suspension Bridge, built around 1925, is a notable landmark of Kittitas County. It connects the Umtanum Recreation Area managed by the BLM with canyon trails, public lands, and the Wenas Wildlife Area of the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife.
Additional traces of regional history can be found in the Roslyn Historic District, a National Historic Landmark associated with the history of coal mining and preserved buildings. The Coal Mines Trail connects Roslyn, Cle Elum, and Ronald and recalls the region’s coal-mining history. Thorp Mill is a restored grain mill offering tours and educational programs. Other attractions include the five-day Kittitas County Fair, held every Labor Day weekend, and Washington State Horse Park, a versatile facility for competitions and equestrian sports.
Choosing a Location Based on Your Travel Interests
You can use your desired experiences as a guide when choosing your accommodation. Water, winter activities, and Lake Easton favor planning around the lake; historic places and the section of the Palouse to Cascades State Park Trail direct attention toward Ellensburg and the towns along the Coal Mines Trail. Ellensburg is accessible via I-90, US Highway 97, and I-82. If access to these roads is important to you, the town may be a practical search focus for a vacation rental in Kittitas County.
The Yakima River Canyon also expands the possibilities. The nearby canyon stretches 27 miles between Ellensburg and Yakima through gently rolling desert hills and basalt cliffs. Wildlife can be observed there; the Yakima River State Scenic Byway provides access to five developed river access points. The non-motorized trails at the Ringer Road Trailhead south of Ellensburg offer views of the wildlife and birdlife in the shoreline areas of the Yakima River.
More Places for Planning Your Trip
For regional orientation, you can also visit the pages on Ellensburg, Cle Elum, Snoqualmie Pass, Ronald, and Kittitas. This allows you to focus your search for a vacation rental or vacation home on the places that best suit your planned discoveries.
For the higher-level travel overview: Washington.
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