This was our best fishing trip in a long time, all thanks to a great team of guides!…read moreThis was our first time fishing on the Yakima in the Spring, but Todd Fukashima and his colleague Lucas Martinez got us properly prepared for the weather, set up two days of great fishing on the best sections of the river, and made this a 5 five star experience across the board! My wife and I have fished with Todd and Lucas in past summers, with great success, so when a good friend wanted to come out West for a couple of Spring days we set up two boats for two Yakima river floats. It was chilly in the mornings but we were well geared up, and after about 10AM we had beautiful weather, great boating, and great guiding from both Lucas and Todd. Everybody caught nice fish, buy my wife's 23 inch rainbow wowed the whole crew! Nice, fat 17 to19 inch fish were boated by all of us, both nymphing and through some great dry fly action. Todd and Lucas did a great job of setting us up right, with the right flies for each part of the day and section of the river. They are both skillful guides and educators, but also just plain fun to fish with!! This was one of the best trips ever and I can't thank Todd and Lucas enough for making sure we all had a great time! Will DEFINITELY call Ellensburg when we get time to get back to this great fishery!!

We decided to sneak in some trout fishing before going to a concert at the nearby Gorge…read moreAmphitheater, so we set up what turned out to be 1.5 great days with Stefan drift-boating on the Yakima. Stefan not only was a great guy to talk to, but he did a simply amazing job of putting us onto fish (e.g., "after this tree, there is some soft water on the seam where it drops off so cast it right there.") He also provided clear feedback when our mends got sloppy or we were missing strikes. It was unseasonably windy and cold in June so watch the weather and bring a beanie, a good fleece, and a good shell. Overall, we had a great time and I'd recommend this service to anyone. The canyon part of the Yakima, in particular, was very beautiful. And Sarah was a dream to work with on setting things up.

We recently won a rental experience for the "Dash for Dylan" charity scavenger hunt. MotorToys…read moregenerously donated a rental as the grand prize for the event. We utilized the rental on June 21, 2025 and it was an absolute blast! The unit that was previously allocated for the rental had been sold, and the staff graciously upgraded our unit to the next level of SxS up. We chose a trail side drop off option where they trailered the unit to and from the shop, which makes it super convenient. Definitely recommended. After signing waivers, getting fitted for helmets and goggles, and going over some general safety guidelines we had an amazing experience all provided by the MotorToys crew. I would totally recommend renting, getting service done by, and working with the crew at MotorToys in Cle Elum to anyone in the future! Top-notch all around and you are supporting a family run business

10/10 experience! Brandon and Jamie were great tour guides with very welcoming energy! We were…read moresafe, had fun, and will definitely be coming back!

I have been in this state park on numerous occasions. Take my airstream and hang out. It's a…read moregreat place to stage for traveling up and down the river. RV sites are large and open for the most part with electric, water and sewer. The winds at night are a riot during the hot parts of the summer. They blow like crazy. There is a day park separate from the RV park that you can walk to to swim and/or just relax. During the summer it is always crowded. Vantage has a gas station with food if you need it. Gorge is very close. Across the river are parks that are supported by Grant County PUD which are very nice and usually not many people. I'm impressed with the money and resources that Grant County PUD has put into the area. Just south of the Wanapum on the same road is a small park on a lake (small) that no one is ever there. Called the cove. If you have a boat you are in heaven with the Colombia River at your call.

Fun little park with toys for kids and a dock for fishing. Wish I had a kayak with me. The water…read morelooked dirty and swampy. No way in hell I am swimming in that. Lots of parking very quaint. Nice day to visit

THIS IS THE SHOP TO USE. As a guide in Colorado for 8 years and now having lived in WA for about 4,…read moreI can confidently say this shop is the move. They've got extensive, knowledge, phenomenal angler and guided service and the most important.... They're just extremely welcoming no matter what level of angler you are. To back this review up, I recently took my relatively newish raft up to float the yak, upon getting up there i realized I had a hole in my floor and forgot my patch kit 3 hour away. After scrambling around all morning to different hardware stores trying to repair it I made one call to the evening hatch where I reached Rich (owner) and said we could come over and use his person patch kit. Showed up and Rich gave me his personal patch kit and helped me patch the hole in the floor... no charge... and he saved the day and got us on the water. Hell, he'd probably give you the shirt off his back if ya asked. Not only that he pointed out 4-5 bugs for us to throw that day and we pulled fish into the boat consistently all damn day with his fly recs. I can assure you this is your one stop shop. They will continue to receive all my business morning forward. Can't recommend em enough!

You can read a more comprehensive review at the link below. Bottom line - The Evening Hatch's…read moreprogram from the Black Bear Lodge is top notch. Awesome accommodations. Incredible fishery. Experienced (and fun) guides. What else can you ask for? This destination should be on your bucket list. https://www.brookdogfishing.com/big-water-washington-state/

I was with a large group, service was excellent, food was very good. The view is great and decor is…read moreappropriate for the setting. A unique location with great food.

Fabulous food here! Fish n chips and burger were AMAZING!!! Cocktails are out of this world as…read morewell. Service was fantastic, We will be back!

I've been here a few times and have never taken the tour, but the property is beautiful and as a…read morephotographer who enjoys photographing old homesteads this is right up my alley. Don't expect run down, leaning, ready to fall over structures that you'd find out on the prairie though. Olmstead is beautifully preserved. When you walk around this large homestead it feels as if you may have slipped back in time and arrived 120 years ago in a little slice of Kittitas paradise. I usually visit the homestead during winter to photograph the buildings with snow, however last week we visited and I was delightfully surprised to find that the main house has a beautiful garden that is being kept up by several volunteers. As an obsessed gardener I fell in love with the place all over again. It's such a beautiful piece of property with several barns, a main beautiful home, a school and many other buildings. A babbling brook flows along the properties edge and there are places to sit and eat lunch listening to the birds (of which there are many) and just take in the serenity of the place. I would recommend taking the tour though to get the full experience. Next month, during peak garden season, I intend to visit again and take the tour. I suspect it's a very popular destination with school field trips too since it's a perfectly preserved bit of Kittitas Valley history.

Just go & explore. Take a picnic & enjoy this bit of history. If you want a guided tour you have…read moreto arrange prior to your visit but we didn't and it was still FABULOUS!

Well this is a hidden gem. It looks brand new, but I just bet people don't come out here to launch…read moretheir boats when there are so many other places to go like Moses Lake. You have to strike a good day when it's not so choppy out. When I created this profile, the wind was really strong. That wouldn't make for a good boating day but I'm sure not every day is as windy. There's restrooms here that seem well cared for and a short trail that leads to a tiny marina. Lot's or boat trailer parking and picnic tables. Like I've said..it all looks brand new. Beautiful view of the Vantage Bridge.

This is a very clean, very quiet, and very beautiful State Park. The views of the Columbia River…read moreare stunning! The bathrooms and showers are always clean. And the staff are so nice and helpful. The only thing I'd warn newcomers about is the wind. It gets very VERY WINDY!!! I mean nearly every night! So if you're tent camping be sure you bring extra stakes. If your camper camping pull in your awnings before the dying goes down or you'll wish you had. But other than that, which isn't a bad thing if you expect it, this is the perfect camping spot.

* Summer Flashback * When I think of state parks and forests…read morein Washington, I always assume they'll consist of lush green foliage. However, Eastern Washington takes on a totally different landscape! The Gingko forest was dry like a desert and I immediately felt like I was transported to a different state. The park is split into two main areas which both require the Discover Pass or $10 for admission. The first area is home to the gift shop, interpretive center and stumps of petrified wood outside on display. This was my first time seeing any remains of petrified wood which are actually considered stone. The wood was smoothed over and some of the surfaces had developed shiny deposits! There are some plaques to read around the exhibit which describe the history of the land and provide more information on the petrified artifacts. It's an amazing realization that we were standing in an area that was once overtaken by lava flows. We could actually see lava remains on the grounds as well! From behind the interpretive center, you can get an expansive view of the Columbia River and Vantage Bridge. Inside, you'll find various types of petrified wood clearly labeled in glass displays which are definitely worth taking a moment to browse. A friendly park guide was also happy to answer any questions. About two miles up the road is a trail which apparently leads to petrified logs. Unfortunately, due to high fire risk (dry summer weather), this area was closed. Somewhere, you can see petroglyphs as well which we also missed this time around. While driving to and from this area, we spotted a herd of antelope! They were in the middle of the road and we caught a glimpse of them as they crossed right in front of us. What a sight! Overall, this is a park that everyone can enjoy, even those who cannot walk a far distance. The petrified wood and interpretive center at the first location is within a very short distance of the parking lot. While not exactly what I expected of a state park, it was still a fascinating visit. I couldn't help but marvel at all of the artifacts that originated from thousands of years ago. Stop by and touch a piece of history!