The Lower Yakima Valley Pathway runs 14 miles from Sunnyside, Washington, to Prosser, Washington. Note: The route is somewhat of a guess, based on sketchy information on trailheads in Sunnyside, Grandview, and Prosser, and the fact that it is a rails-to-trails conversion. I was unable to locate a map. The Prosser end is definitely suspect; Sunnyside and Grandview less so.
Categories: 10 to 20 Miles &Flat &No Solitude &Paved &Rural
States: Washington
Last Modified: April 29, 2007
(No Ratings Yet)
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Elevation profile of route: feet above sea level vs. distance traveled (approximate). Green marker on map above shows which end is designated as start of route.
RSS
Rode this one this morning, 9/29/07. Caught the Prosser Balloon Stampede, which was a worthwhile event, then headed out the bike path.
This one really isn’t a rails-to-trails path, although there is about 3 miles of it between Prosser and Grandview that was once a feeder rail line. Rather, it was put in as part of the I-82 Corridor project when the interstate went up through the Yakima valley.
This bike path only rates a 2 &1/2 stars (sorry locals if I disappoint you) for the following reasons:
1. Lots of traffic noise. The path is in between I-82 and the Yakima Valley Highway, (formerly known as US Route 410) nearly the entire trip.
2. Poor maintenance. The first two miles out of Prosser are rather rough, but then gets better nearer Grandview. Lots of gang tagging on the path asphalt and in the outhouse. Then from Grandview to Sunnyside, ragweed 4 ft high in places leaving only about an 18†opening to ride through. My shins are still itching.
As noted, the path is 14 miles from downtown Prosser to Sunnyside. The northwest end of the path starts in Sunnyside at the park and ride at the corner of 16th and Yakima Valley Highway. The southeast end starts in downtown Prosser and can be accessed from any point downtown. At Grandview the path puts the rider through downtown before breaking back onto dedicated path.
If you are looking for road bike mileage where you don’t have to mix it up with vehicle traffic in too many places, this one will work. Recommend an Ipod to drown out the traffic noise.
Happy trails!
Jeff King
We rode this trail on May 9 and 10, 2009, as part of a round-trip between Richland & Sunnyside, WA. We really appreciated having an off-the-road option for this part of our ride.
The trail is very rideable and the graffiti and ragweed problems noted in 2007 seem to have pretty much vanished. We really appreciated the mileage posts (every 1/2 mile!) and what was obviously a local community effort. The trail has lots of little rest stops with benches or more, and a lot of clever – if a bit down-at-the-heels – animal-themed trashcans with names like Fil Cougar and Goblin Gopher.
We had a nice dinner on the 9th at the Snipe’s Mountain Brewery brew pub in Sunnyside, and a great breakfast on the 10th at a taco truck in Grandview, and were delighted to see Mt. Adams from the pathway, and lots of Yakima Valley agriculture.