The City of Yakima’s Cowiche Canyon Trail project includes constructing a 10-foot wide graveled pedestrian pathway with two bridges over Cowiche Creek from Powerhouse Road to the existing Cowiche Canyon Trailhead. 

The trail will be approximately 2 miles long.  Funding for the project comes from a $2 million “Connecting Washington” grant.

Other details and project timeline:

• The project will be completed in two phases, beginning with the downstream section.
• Phase 1 of the project is 30 percent designed, including a new 180-foot pedestrian bridge
• Challenging structural elements to the pedestrian bridge requires investigatory geotechnical drilling to begin in Octobet 2020.
• Final design of Phase 1 is anticipated to be completed by the first quarter of 2021
• Construction is expected to begin in Spring 2021
• Work on the upstream section, Phase 2, will begin in 2021.
• Project includes improvements to the trailhead and parking area at the eastern trailhead.
• Due to COVID-19, future communications and stakeholder engagement will be virtual and may include on-line open houses.
• In 2018, the City of Yakima held meetings with property owners in the project area, as well as stakeholders, to gain input on the trail design.
• The trail alignment is on the previous BNSF railroad right-of-way.

For more information contact the City of Yakima Engineering Division at 575-6111.