Yakima River Canyon on SR-821: Selah to Ellensburg

SR-821 does what I-82 cannot: it stays with the river. The Yakima River Canyon scenic byway threads 56 kilometres between Selah and Ellensburg along the river’s meanders, under basalt walls that rise 600 metres on both sides — sage country, bighorn slopes, hawks riding the thermals. The road crosses the river four times, passes the Roza Dam diversion and the canyon’s classic rafting reach, and carries almost no traffic: everyone else is on the interstate above. Campgrounds and fishing holes line the water; Umtanum Ridge’s trailhead sits mid-canyon. This is the state’s original scenic byway and still its most underrated ride.