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Running trails in Yakima, WA
Yakima has 11 trails in the directory — 1 paved and 1 on crushed gravel or dirt, 3 loops that return to the trailhead, 3 with a stated distance, 3 shaded, and 1 open 24 hours. 8 of them post opening hours, so you can check the gate before an early start. They're ranked here by rating weighted by review volume, across 3,783 Google reviews. Filter by surface, loop, distance, shade or lighting to get to the run you're actually planning — no made-up difficulty score, just the facts you'd check before driving out.
Randall Park
4.5 ★★★★★ 1,148 reviews
Creekside park featuring a walking path, disc golf course & playground, plus picnic areas & a pond.
Franklin Park
4.6 ★★★★★ 902 reviews
Community park featuring an outdoor pool, tennis courts, a playground & summer concert series.
Sarg Hubbard Park
4.4 ★★★★☆ 753 reviews
Dog-friendly park featuring grassy lawns, playgrounds and lakes.
Cowiche Canyon Uplands - Summitview Trailhead
4.6 ★★★★★ 244 reviews
Stunning, expansive land trust known for its dramatic scenery, local wildlife & trail network.
Cowiche Canyon Uplands - Scenic Drive Trailhead
4.6 ★★★★★ 193 reviews
Large desert canyon with trails for hiking and mountain biking.
Gilbert Park
4.4 ★★★★☆ 169 reviews
Tranquil neighborhood park with picnic tables on its lawns, established trees & a labyrinth feature.
Harlan Landing
4.2 ★★★★☆ 176 reviews
Relaxed park overlooking the Yakima River featuring picnic areas and fishing holes, plus a boat launch.
Cowiche Canyon Trail East Trailhead
4.6 ★★★★★ 82 reviews
Hiking area with kid-friendly trails and a winery for adult visitors.
Cowiche Canyon Trail west trailhead
4.8 ★★★★★ 52 reviews
Easy paths for hikers, many featuring wildflowers, birds, and views of the canyon river and creek.
No trails match those filters.
How to pick a trail in Yakima
- Match the surface to your legs. Yakima gives you a choice: 2 mixed, 1 paved, and 1 natural surface. Asphalt and concrete are fast, predictable and runnable year-round but the least forgiving; crushed limestone and dirt take the sting out of high mileage; boardwalk is flat and scenic but slick in the wet. If your shins or knees are complaining, the fix that actually works is varying the surface you run on rather than chasing one "best" one. More mixed trails →
- Loop or out-and-back? 3 trails here are loops, so you finish back at the car with no backtracking — the easiest way to run a set distance without thinking about it. On an out-and-back you turn round at half your target distance, which makes any trail fit any run. The longest stated distance in Yakima is Cowiche Canyon Uplands - Scenic Drive Trailhead at 60 mi. 3 trails are long enough for a 5-mile-plus run without repeating yourself.
- Check the hours before a 6am run. 1 trail in Yakima is open 24 hours — the rest can sit inside a park that gates at dusk and doesn't unlock until well after sunrise. 8 of the 11 listings carry posted opening hours — worth a look before you set an alarm.
- Long run? Check water and restrooms first. 9 have trailhead parking, 7 have restrooms, and 2 have a water fountain in Yakima. Anything over an hour and those stop being nice-to-haves — and in summer, shade counts double.
- The small things that decide it. 3 shaded, 1 with mile markers, 3 that runners describe as quiet, 6 dog-friendly, and 2 smooth and wide enough for a stroller or a wheelchair. Busy or quiet isn't a good-or-bad thing here: a busy path is the safer choice for a solo run at dawn, a quiet one is better for intervals.
More on all of this in the trail-running guides.
Browse Yakima trails by type
- Mixed trails
- Paved trails
- Natural surface trails
- Loop trails
- Long-run trails (5+ mi)
- Shaded trails
- Flat & fast
- Hilly trails
- Scenic trails
- Trails with restrooms
- Trails with water fountains
- Trailhead parking
- Trails with mile markers
- Quiet, uncrowded trails
- Dog-friendly
- Stroller & wheelchair-accessible
Running trails near Yakima
Worth the short drive — the closest towns with trails in the directory.