Yakima Valley Tourism Travel Media Resources

The Travel Media section from Yakima Valley Tourism serves travel and lifestyle journalists, photographers, and other media professionals looking for destination information about the Yakima Valley. Resources include press kits, storylines, images, and a wide range of additional journalistic material.

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Yakima Valley Wine Country

Five American Viticultural Areas, more than 90 wineries, and over one third of the state's vineyards are found in the Yakima Valley. Wine touring and tasting here brings visitors directly to the source, where more than 50% of Washington's wine grapes are grown. Experiences range from grand estates to quaint, boutique winery settings, offering a farm to glass perspective on wine.

Winemakers and growers are often ready to welcome visitors and share their pride in the exceptional wines produced in this beautiful part of the world. The Valley's rugged hillsides, wetlands, and varied microclimates support a broad selection of grape varieties and wine styles. The most widely planted varieties include Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Syrah and Riesling.

Farm Fresh Fun

With farms and orchards throughout the region, choosing local food is easy. 3,000 farms produce more than 40 commercial crops in the Yakima Valley, keeping farm-fresh produce available almost year-round—from asparagus in April to apples and potatoes in October. July is especially abundant, with opportunities to find apricots, green beans, blueberries, corn, nectarines and squash.

Seasonal u-pick activities, specialty foods, and festivals are offered by many farms. Local chefs also draw on the area's agricultural abundance, bringing a steady stream of new choices to the Valley's dining scene. It's Farm Fresh Fun!

Native American Culture

The Yakama Nation Cultural Heritage Center presents the history of the Plateau people and their lands. The Yakama Nation Museum is recognized as one of the finest Native American Museums in the United States. Visitors can follow a museum visit with an authentic Yakama Nation meal and a live cultural arts performance, including storytelling based on Yakama legends or a presentation by the Yakama Native American Dance Group.

Historical Transportation

Ride the last original turn-of-the-century electric railroad in the US as it passes through apple orchards and crosses the swift Naches River. The vintage 1900's trolley offers views of basalt cliffs and surrounding scenery before entering the charming city of Selah.

Wine Tasting Experiences

Cherry Wood Bed, Breakfast and Barn sits on a working farm surrounded by over 15 wineries and provides horseback wine tasting trips through vineyards and orchards. Guests can also stay in distinctive luxury accommodations that include teepees, bunk houses and cozy bed and breakfast rooms.

Additional wine excursions are available in the lower Yakima Valley. Red Mountain Trails offers wine tasting tours by horseback, wagon and bike throughout the Red Mountain AVA. At Vintner's Village, visitors can explore ten tasting rooms located within short walking distance of one another.

Arts and Culture

The Yakima Valley provides cultural experiences that extend beyond a conventional museum gallery visit. In Toppenish, "Where the West Still Lives," the Mural Tour offers a horse-drawn wagon ride past more than 70 pieces of historic western art displayed on downtown building walls.

The Yakima Museum in the city of Yakima presents the city's origins and history. Visitors can then relax with sundaes at the museum's 1930's Art Deco Tom Tom Bistro at the Soda Fountain. In the small, eclectic city of Tieton, Mighty Tieton brings together an outstanding collective of artisans.

Live music can be found throughout the Valley, including at vineyard settings, tasting rooms, breweries, parks, festivals, theaters and other venues.

Outdoor Adventure

Washington Wine Country offers opportunities to run rapids, climb rock, cycle through a canyon, or fish for trout. The Yakima Valley's perpetually sunny environment supports adventures for every level of experience. The mountains west of Yakima are well suited to rock climbing, while the Yakima Canyon provides bikers with a broad, scenic route.

An extensive trail network within the Cowiche Canyon Conservancy provides access to the Yakima Valley's distinctive shrub steppe landscape. Each September, the annual Flip Flop sends a torrent of water from Rimrock Lake down to the Tieton River, forming a fast-paced intermediate rafting adventure.

Those seeking a gentler outing can "chase rainbows" on the Yakima River, a classic western trout stream that anglers describe as a "blue-ribbon" trout stream - the best in the state.

Hop Country and Craft Beer

Many destinations promote themselves as major craft beer locations, with excellent beers and appealing breweries. The Yakima Valley, however, supplies the foundation that makes those beers possible. Its combination of soil, climate and water access has made the valley one of the most important hop growing regions in the world.

Local growers produce more than 75% of the United States hop crop, supporting the brewing of craft beer across the country. The Valley's craft brewery scene is hopping, too: it is home to the only hop country craft beer trail. Visiting the Yakima Valley means visiting the source of the craft beer industry.