Yakima River Canyon Campgrounds (Umtanum, Lmuma Creek, Big Pines, Roza)

Click on the image above to view more photos of accessibility features at these sites.

Accessibility Description (ABA/ADA)

The 5 campgrounds in the Yakima River Canyon are all located along the Yakima River, roughly 5 miles apart.

All 5 sites have parking lots; iron ranger pay boxes near the entrance at an appropriate height for users of wheelchairs and other mobility devices (iron ranger will be installed at Bighorn Recreation Site in 2025); shaded bulletin boards or information kiosks; at least some cell-phone coverage; accessible toilets (except Bighorn); and accessible picnic tables. There is no potable water or other hookups at these sites.

Site-specific features are listed below.

Bighorn Recreation Site (New!)

• This new site was acquired by the BLM in spring 2024 and is currently under interim management with mainly temporary facilities.
• Parking: There is no designated accessible parking in the camping area. Campsites have spurs or pull-outs with natural surfacing (dirt/cobble). The day-use parking area has designated accessible parking, but parking spots are not striped.
• Cell phone coverage: Spotty.
• Toilets: Non-accessible port-a-potties are temporarily being rented for this site.
• Campsites: A loop connects 15 campsites with accessible tables and standard, single-walled fire rings. The loop and campsite surfaces are natural surface with packed gravel in some areas.
• A dumpster for garbage is located near the site entrance.

Umtanum Recreation Site

• Parking and pathways: There are 60 parking spots in a paved lot for the day-use area. Three of the spots are marked as accessible. Two of these share an access aisle for vehicles with a mobility device lift or ramp, while the 3^rd space has its own aisle. Campsites have their own gravel parking spurs.
• Cell phone coverage: Spotty.
• Pay boxes: The iron ranger is at an appropriate height for mobility device users; the ROK (remote off-grid kiosk) may be too high.
• Toilets: There is an accessible unisex double vault toilet near the entrance.
• Picnic tables: A gravel path leads from the parking lot to nearby picnic areas with accessible picnic tables that have an extended top to accommodate wheelchair users. Two of the picnic tables sit under shade structures.
• Campsites: Visitors take a gravel loop to reach the campground’s 6 campsites. All 6 sites have accessible picnic tables with extended tops and fire rings. There are 12 additional campsites with accessible picnic tables at the south end of the site. These campsites are walk-in only, along a rocky road.
• Other features:
  • The gravel path connecting the campsites extends on to a historic bridge that crosses over the river, to trails on the other side. Next to the bridge is a scenic overlook, which includes a gravel path with two benches without arms and one angled interpretive sign.
  • The site has a dumpster at ground level for garbage disposal.

Lmuma Creek Recreation Site

• Parking: A paved road leads into the gravel parking lot, which has about 20 spaces. The spaces near campsites #1 and #6 are paved for accessibility.
• Cell phone coverage: Spotty.
• Toilets: There are 2 accessible unisex single vault toilets on a paved pathway through the campground. Campsite #6 is the closest site to the toilets.  
• Picnic tables: Near campsite #1, there are 2 accessible picnic tables with tops extended on one end.
• Campsites: There are 7 campsites in all; campsites #1-4 are seasonally shaded by trees. All campsites have accessible picnic tables and standard, single-walled fire rings.
• Other features:
  • The site has a dumpster at ground level.
  • A pathway leads from the campground uphill to an overlook and a bench without arms.

Big Pines Recreation Site

• Parking and pathways: There are 5 paved parking areas, with 4 parking spaces designated as accessible. Paved and curbed sidewalks as well as roads run throughout the campground.
• Cell phone coverage: Moderate.
• Toilets: The campground has 4 accessible unisex double vault toilets at various locations throughout the site. One of the toilets is near the campground entrance.
• Picnic tables: A paved path leads to the river, where there are accessible picnic tables in the southeast corner of the campground.
• Campsites: The campground at Big Pines Recreation Area is the largest in Yakima River Canyon, with 42 campsites. All 42 campsites have accessible picnic tables with tops extended on one end and standard, single-walled fire rings. Some of the campsites along the river are shaded by trees. Campsites A, B, and C are walk-in sites. Campers walk into the sites along a paved pathway but the sites themselves are packed dirt.
• Pay boxes: The iron ranger is at an appropriate height for mobility device users; the ROK (remote off-grid kiosk) may be too high.
• Other features:
  • A boat launch with an accessible loading platform allows visitors with mobility impairments to transfer onto a boat.
  • Several garbage dumpsters are located around the recreation site.

Roza Recreation Site

• Parking: There are 120 paved parking spaces at this site, which is the southernmost day-use and camping area before the Roza Dam. Six of the parking spaces have been designated as accessible. They are distributed throughout the lot and have access aisles to accommodate vehicles with a mobility device lift or ramp.
• Cell-phone coverage: Spotty.
• Toilets: 2 accessible unisex double vault toilets are located in the paved parking area.
• Picnic tables: There are 8 accessible picnic tables with stand grills in the picnic area along the river. These tables and grills sit on hard-packed ground. The site also has 2 picnic shelters that cover accessible tables.

• Pay boxes: The iron ranger is at an appropriate height for mobility device users; the ROK (remote off-grid kiosk) may be too high.

• Campsites: The campground has 6 shaded sites, all of which have accessible picnic tables with tops extended on one end and standard, single-walled fire rings.
• Other features:
  • A dumpster at ground level is located in the central part of the parking area.
  • A bench without arms is located near the site entrance, with a shelter structure covering it.

Descriptions and photos uploaded November 2024. Please note that actual on-the-ground conditions may vary due to natural events (e.g., weather, wildfires, erosion), normal wear and tear, or site improvements.