Yakima Valley Tourism Travel Media Resources

Yakima Valley Tourism’s Travel Media section supports travel and lifestyle journalists and photographers researching the Yakima Valley as a tourist destination. Resources include press kits, storylines, images, and other information for media professionals.

Travel Media Stories

Story Ideas

Yakima Valley Tourism publishes a monthly newsletter highlighting new and exciting upcoming experiences. To receive these newsletters, please contact the Communications and Travel Trade Manager.

Wine Country in the Yakima Valley

Five American Viticultural Areas, more than 90 wineries, and over one third of the state's vineyards are found in the Yakima Valley. Exploring this wine country means going directly to the source, where more than 50% of Washington's wine grapes are grown.

Visitors can enjoy a farm to glass wine tasting experience at settings ranging from grand estates to quaint, boutique winery locations. Winemakers and growers are often ready to offer a warm welcome while sharing their passion and pride in the exceptional wines produced in this beautiful corner of the world.

The Valley’s varied microclimates, rugged hillsides, and wetlands help shape the many grape varieties and wine styles made from Yakima Valley grapes. The most widely planted varieties include Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Syrah and Riesling.

Farm Fresh Fun

With farms and orchards all around, finding locally grown food is easy. In the Yakima Valley, 3,000 farms cultivate more than 40 commercial crops, 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 pick 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 region’s agricultural abundance, bringing a steady wave of new choices to the dining scene. It’s Farm Fresh Fun!

Native American Culture

The Yakama Nation Cultural Heritage Center shares the story 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.

After visiting the museum, guests can enjoy an authentic Yakama Nation meal accompanied by a live cultural arts performance. Programming may include storytelling of 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. Aboard the vintage 1900's trolley, travelers can take in views and basalt cliffs before arriving in the charming city of Selah.

Wine Tasting Experiences

Cherry Wood Bed, Breakfast and Barn sits on a working farm surrounded by over 15 wineries. The property offers horseback wine tasting trips through nearby vineyards and orchards, along with unusual luxury accommodations in teepees, bunk houses and cozy bed and breakfast rooms.

Additional wine adventures await in the lower Yakima Valley. Red Mountain Trails provides 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 offers cultural experiences that extend beyond a typical museum gallery. In Toppenish, known as "Where the West Still Lives," visitors can take the Mural Tour. A horse-drawn wagon ride reveals more than 70 pieces of historic western art displayed on downtown building walls.

In the city of Yakima, the Yakima Museum 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.

The small, eclectic city of Tieton is home to an outstanding collective of artisans at Mighty Tieton. Live music can be found throughout the Valley—in vineyard settings and tasting rooms, as well as at breweries, parks, festivals, theaters and other venues.

Outdoor Adventure

Washington Wine Country offers opportunities to brave rapids, climb rock, ride through a canyon, or hook a trout. With a perpetually sunny environment, the Yakima Valley accommodates a wide range of adventure levels.

The mountains west of Yakima provide excellent rock climbing, while Yakima Canyon gives cyclists a wide-open, scenic route. Within the Cowiche Canyon Conservancy, an extensive trail system leads through the stunning and unique shrub steppe landscape of the Yakima Valley.

Each September, the annual Flip Flop sends a torrent of water from Rimrock Lake down to the Tieton River, creating a fast-paced intermediate rafting adventure. For a quieter outing, visitors can "chase rainbows" on the Yakima River, a classic western trout stream and what anglers call 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 good beers and appealing breweries. What they may not mention is that the Yakima Valley supplies the essential foundation for brewing those beers.

The valley’s combination of soil, climate and water access has made it one of the most important hop growing regions in the world. Local growers produce more than 75% of the United States hop crop, meaning they are single-handedly responsible for keeping the craft beer industry brewing.

The region’s craft brewery scene is hopping, too. It is home to the only hop country craft beer trail. Visiting the Yakima Valley means coming to the source of the craft beer industry.