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Yakima River
Kayak spot · United States
Flat water: a lake, canal or slow river
Is it worth the trip?
78Good out of 100 for your dates
2 days tie for best
Tue 3 · 82 out of 100
- Wind
- 4 kn
- Gusts
- 11kn
- Air
- 10°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Wed 4 · 82 out of 100
- Wind
- 4 kn
- Gusts
- 11kn
- Air
- 11°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Thu 5 · 75 out of 100
- Wind
- 5 kn
- Gusts
- 17kntoo gusty
- Air
- 11°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Fri 6 · 75 out of 100
- Wind
- 2 kn
- Gusts
- 9kntoo gusty
- Air
- 8°C
- Rain
- 6.6 mm
Sat 7 · 75 out of 100
- Wind
- 5 kn
- Gusts
- 14kntoo gusty
- Air
- 11°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Sun 8 · 75 out of 100
- Wind
- 3 kn
- Gusts
- 11kntoo gusty
- Air
- 9°C
- Rain
- 5.4 mm
Mon 9 · 78 out of 100
- Wind
- 3 kn
- Gusts
- 9kn
- Air
- 7°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Tap a day for wind, gusts, air and rain. Full forecast
Forecast: next 10 days
Full forecast- Mon 276, good
- Tue 382, good
- Wed 482, good
- Thu 575, good
- Fri 675, good
- Sat 775, good
- Sun 875, good
- Mon 978, good
- Tue 1061, good
- Wed 1144, poor
The spot in two facts
- Flat waterthe water
- 19.8 kmthe section
Full forecast
every day, every number
The score doesn't know the river level, weirs or your skill.
| Day | Score | Wind | Gusts | Air | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon 2Nov | 76, good | 3 kn | 13kn | 9°C | 0 mm |
| Tue 3Nov | 82, good | 4 kn | 11kn | 10°C | 0 mm |
| Wed 4Nov | 82, good | 4 kn | 11kn | 11°C | 0 mm |
| Thu 5Nov | 75, good | 5 kn | 17kntoo gusty | 11°C | 0 mm |
| Fri 6Nov | 75, good | 2 kn | 9kntoo gusty | 8°C | 6.6 mm |
| Sat 7Nov | 75, good | 5 kn | 14kntoo gusty | 11°C | 0 mm |
| Sun 8Nov | 75, good | 3 kn | 11kntoo gusty | 9°C | 5.4 mm |
| Mon 9Nov | 78, good | 3 kn | 9kn | 7°C | 0 mm |
| Tue 10Nov | 61, good | 3 kn | 19kntoo gusty | 7°C | 25.2 mm |
| Wed 11Nov | 44, poor | 7 kn | 19kntoo gusty | 9°C | 29.1 mm |
Wind and gusts are in knots, rain in mm. River levels: no free forecast gives them, so check a gauge before you go. More
Forecast updated . It refreshes every three hours. Forecast data: ECMWF, DWD, Météo-France and NOAA, served by Open-Meteo.com (CC BY 4.0). Changed by us. Generated using E.U. Copernicus Marine Service Information.
Best time to go
No month stands out
Good kayaking days in a typical week, each month, for new paddlers, from 2016 on (ERA5 history scored the same way).
- Jan6of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Jan
- Feb6of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Feb
- Mar6of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Mar
- Apr6of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Apr
- May6of 7: a trip from Sat 1 May
- Jun7of 7: a trip from Sat 5 Jun
- Jul7of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Jul
- Aug7of 7: a trip from Sat 7 Aug
- Sep7of 7: a trip from Sat 4 Sept
- Oct7of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Oct
- Nov6of 7: a trip from Tue 3 Nov
- Dec6of 7: a trip from Sat 5 Dec
Tap a month to see this spot for a trip then.
Typical weather, not a forecast, and not the river's level: a month that is often good to be outside may still be low water.
Map
put-in, take-out, its town
Yakima River on Google Maps · Directions
Each place wears its best day on these dates: green good, amber fair, pale red poor, as the key says.
The map needs JavaScript. Every place on it is listed on this page, and each place's page links to Google Maps.
One finger scrolls the page; two fingers move the map. Pins are our own positions. Map OpenFreeMap, © OpenMapTiles, data © OpenStreetMap contributors.
More kayaking near here
3 places
- Teanaway River 1.8 km away
- Yakima River 5 km away
- Yakima River 14.1 km away
About
the place in full, sources, credits
About Yakima River
A river section on the Yakima River, from a put-in down to a take-out. It runs 20 km along the river. No grade stated: ask locally before you paddle. No paddling school, club or hire within 50 km on the map. The town to stay in is Cle Elum. Within 5 km we also list 1 kayak spot.
- River Yakima River
- Grade No grade is stated.
- Length 20 km along the river.
- Who it suits No grade stated: ask locally before you paddle.
- Access No source states the access rules: check locally.
- Schools, hire No paddling school, club or hire within 50 km on the map.
Spots and rivers: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL). Whitewater sections © Rivermap (rivermap.org), Riverzone and Jonathan Riddell, ODbL.
The score is the conditions only: the journey, the price and the partners never change it (how we score, how we earn).
Rough cost (estimate): about US$1,290–US$2,370 each
about US$1,290–US$2,370 each · 6 nights, 2 sharing: flights, hire car, stay, food, kayak hire.
Our estimate from typical public prices, not a quote: check the real prices before you book (where they come from). Prices are about, in US Dollar (USD): our pound figures at the European Central Bank's rate of 2 November 2026.
How we worked it out
| What | How we worked it out | Each |
|---|---|---|
| Flights | return MDW to SEA, estimated from distance and season, 1 airline on the route, with a hold bag | about US$248–US$517 |
| Hire car | 6 days, shared | about US$154–US$255 |
| Stay | 6 nights, a mid-range double, shared | about US$349–US$584 |
| Food | 7 days eating out | about US$342–US$637 |
| Kayak hire | 5 days, or about US$114 to fly your own | about US$201–US$376 |
| Total | about US$1,290–US$2,370 |
Prices from public sources, checked in 2026.
Where to stay: Cle Elum
Ad Links marked Ad may pay us if you book. You pay the same, and they never change a score. How we earn
about 15 min by car · 20 places to stay
about US$134/nightcountry average
About Cle Elum its beds, food and every spot near it
About US$134 a night is our estimate of the country's average 2-star double room that month: not each town's price, and not a quote. Drives are estimates. Prices are about, in US Dollar (USD): our pound figures at the European Central Bank's rate of 2 November 2026.
Getting there: about 8h 15m
About 8h 15m door to door from Chicago
Fly MDW → SEA, direct, then 2h 10m by road
Flights MDW → SEA on your dates · AviasalesAd
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.
On the water
Kayak trips and courses in Cle Elum · GetYourGuideKayak hire in Cle Elum · GetYourGuide
Paddling schools, clubs and hire nearby
No paddling school, club or hire mapped within 50 km.
Schools, clubs and hire: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL). Credits